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floating in a peaceful lake in the shiqiao garden just northwest of shanghai, the 'bamboo courtyard teahouse' design be architect sun wei of HWCD
exemplifies ancient chinese cultural and architectural traditions interpreted tastefully in contemporary times. as the vernacular includes inward facing
pavilions to create a more internal landscape, the floating teahouse is conceived on the overlaying of two regular square grids with individual structures
that play on the solid-void characteristic to create a protected inner environment. the negative spaces also make ventilation possible throughout each
construct. the project consists of two layers that together assure a symbiosis between building and nature as well as maintain key sustainable features.
first, the free-standing earth-brick structures are clustered as an almost miniature urban plan, each with views across the lake. their thermal properties
retain heat in the winter and reduce the need for extra resources, while their neutral tones blend into the landscape. over this, a thin translucent bamboo
trellis defines vertical and horizontal elements that inform exterior spaces without completely enclosing them from the outside world. reminiscent of
the stocks emerging from the water, the bamboo screens help shade the constructs in the summer and from a distance give a more natural look to the
complex.
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