Haocheng Qiao · CLIENT: Changshu Institute of Technology
Time Imprint is a residential house designed for elderly residents in a rural setting near Suzhou. The three-story building covers 680 square meters and combines traditional Chinese aesthetics with accessible planning. Anti-slip rubber flooring, handrails along the main passage, an elevator and a ground floor bathroom reduce walking distances and the risk of falls. Diatomaceous earth walls, carbonized bamboo, oak flooring and granite are used as finishes. Rainwater recycling, low-emissivity skylights and modular vertical planters with drip irrigation support sustainable living.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This case integrates traditional Chinese aesthetics with modern aging-friendly concepts, prioritizing eco-friendly materials, clean energy systems, and accessible layouts. Aligned with China's "New Countryside" vision, it emphasizes culturally resonant, sustainable living over ostentatious rural mansions. The design combines green technologies with design to create healthy, elderly-friendly spaces that balance environmental responsibility, historical identity, and functional comfort.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- This 680-square-meter three-story structure integrates elderly-centric design. Technical upgrades feature double-glazed windows achieving 1.9 W/m²K thermal efficiency, modular vertical planters with automated irrigation, and whole-house smart systems ensuring 3-second emergency response. Optimized pathways reduced from 8 to 3.5 meters enhance accessibility. Material selections combine carbonized bamboo, oak flooring, and granite accents, blending traditional aesthetics with ADA compliance.
- Tags
- Interior, Residential House, Healing Design, Aging Friendly, Rural Sustainability, Cultural Integration, Nature
- Production Technology
- This project prioritizes natural materials and aging-focused features such as anti-slip rubber flooring, diatomaceous earth walls, accessible bathrooms with antimicrobial tiles. Green tech integrates vertical modular planters with drip irrigation, rainwater recycling, and LOW-E skylights. Traditional craftsmanship is modernized via ergonomic woven furniture. Smart aging-friendly controls sync lighting and security with intuitive interfaces.
- Design Challenge
- The biggest challenge may lie in how to create a rich spatial experience and aesthetic appeal while meeting the needs of elderly friendly functions within a limited space. This requires sufficient effort in conceptual design and detail handling, such as spatial layout, material texture, color and light, striving for a perfect balance between practicality and aesthetics, ultimately achieving the goal of green living that allows the elderly to live comfortably, recuperate, and rest.
- Project Duration
- The project started in October 2024 in Suzhou and finished in December 2024 in Suzhou.
- Operation Flow
- The design concept first starts with spatial layout analysis, with aging friendly design as the core thread throughout. It is crucial to analyze the optimization of vertical flow lines. Setting up elevators and bathrooms on the first floor not only shortens the walking distance for the elderly, but also improves safety. Adding handrails to the main passage and using anti slip flooring materials can effectively prevent the risk of falls for the elderly.
- Research
- This study explores the field of therapeutic elderly housing and provides reference for rural housing development, policy formulation, and design in response to the challenges posed by China's aging population. This provides feasible solutions for current rural housing design and offers new explorations for contemporary sustainable and accessible housing standards.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by Tang Dynasty poet Wang Bo's "Suburban Garden Matters", this design reimagines elderly-friendly rural living through accessible courtyards, sunrooms for gardening and relaxation, and connected caregiver-bedroom layouts. The concept prioritizes safe mobility while evoking pastoral leisure through sustainable materials and poetic spatial organization, contrasting stark modern senior facilities.
- Image Credits
- Image #1: Photographer Haocheng Qiao, Time Imprint, 2024.
Image #2: Photographer Haocheng Qiao, Time Imprint, 2024.
Image #3: Photographer Haocheng Qiao, Time Imprint, 2024.
Image #4: Photographer Haocheng Qiao, Time Imprint, 2024.
Image #5: Photographer Haocheng Qiao, Time Imprint, 2024. - Patents
- Copyrights belong to Haocheng Qiao, 2024.
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