Atelier Deshaus

The site locates in outskirts of Shanghai. At the beginning of project, the surrounding context was nearly deserted. Several high-rises and roads around, which not far away from site, were under construction that time. Landscape design and construction of a central park, named as “Purple East” and located in the same Jiading new town as our site, were in process as well. Our project planned to be surrounded by a forest and plenty of giant tress will be transplanted around, although the site was wasteland in the first place. In this time of China, constructions and environments are in the same renewal process.

This architectural design is about the overall envision of construction and its site context. In condition that the variability of further function and surround environments were only exist in drawings, we decided two strategies. One is to design a flexible space, and another is to hypothesize a relationship between architecture and site context. The later one unconsciously occupied a prior place in the following project.

A gestalt is invaded by a spiral with inner space of privacy and some primitive senses. Interior space is transforming from public to private by the process of gradually be rolled into the inner chamber. When you eventually arrive the center core courtyard, the outer context will only be perceived by the treetops. Your mood will follow the trip turn ups and downs into peace. From the plan view, two spiral lines roll towards the center and also drift away from each other. A continuing space with diversity width come after these two lines, and also some specific space. All the service space such as washroom, kitchen, storage room, small chambers, offices and so on are be arranged into enclosed central chamber, which between two walls. In this way, the outer space of spiral is been released, which might have more possibility in the future. These two spiral line created two occlusive and reversed space, one in the inner space of construction and another is in the outer and also top of the construction. A continuing space will guide from end point to start point again. The spiral frame is pre-concept guide. It established space skeleton and also created one way to enter the building from scenery. You may enter the annular space directly, or step on to the roof, enter this building in the constantly changing of spot, angle and height of view. There would be a pleasure of promenade, which arises from rhythm alternating between open and closed and within the intentionally longate path .This is an abstract method of gardens. Thus,in this place,to see the scenery is also a way to enter the architecture. The intention of spiral is to establish a way to see scenery.