DCDSAA Architectural Design Office has completed a very important architectural planning and design project in Shanghai this year-Lilith House (Cat House Garden); Architects hope to build a harmonious relationship among architecture, courtyard, and nature through minimalist geometric deconstruction and calm symmetry. “Architecture is an open natural relationship with rhythm and clear facade. Mr. Wang Hao, the presiding architect of DCDSAA Architecture Office, said: “Rigorous planning and design, thanks to our in-depth study and discussion of future architecture, is an open private space with a sense of ceremony. Architecture is connected with courtyard and the interaction between them creates unique experience fun.”
In Yunjian Granary Cultural and Creative Park, Songjiang, Shanghai, there are a group of old granary buildings with a long history, which are located on the banks of the people’s river. As an original granary land, the mission of this location is to create a harmonious symbiosis with the surrounding landscape and become a part of the site-building. The inclined special-shaped frame of the entrance floating BOX is used, and the interesting upper and lower façades are formed. The façades are designed with large floor-to-ceiling glass. The three-dimensional structure of each BOX echoes the waterscape of the outside garden like a sculpture, creating the fluidity of the space.
The whole indoor beige minimalist structure design, the semi-circular sinking leisure experience space has beautiful lines and sense of body, the tolerance and width of natural lighting, and more interaction and contrast between light and buildings. After the space has the natural attribute of light, it is full of the contrast between fantasy and reality, and it is endowed with the pure modern temperament like an architectural art museum.
The rich and varied landscape environment creates diversified interesting experiences for the building. Each open space in the room not only provides people with an excellent vision but also closely connects the outdoor space with the independent indoor space. In the design of the site and the building, the changes of scale and storey height are skillfully used, which form a rich volume contrast relationship and create a unique space and visual experience. Each symmetrical direction of BOX lighting is a pure form of architecture, which leads the space to a more intriguing artistic direction, and also leads to the “natural attribute” of architecture, thus creating a natural feeling of visibility and satisfying our pursuit of experience quality and ideal.
The patchwork appearance and posture create a series of continuous landscape scenes. The public space in the building is organized around the outdoor garden platform, and the boundary between indoor and outdoor becomes smart because of these gardens. The overall planning consists of two small buildings, and an outdoor punch-in terrace is formed in the upper part of the building. The terrace is planted with green vegetation, just like a hanging garden, floating above the site and the riverbank, creating a natural and harmonious indoor and outdoor atmosphere.
The two-story sky garden structure floats on the first floor, forming a wonderful floating posture; Interact with the waterscape below, and the overall facade of the second floor shows various shapes, sometimes delicate and sometimes quiet, which can create a natural, soft, beautiful and smart picture for the space, and become a beautiful photoshop viewing platform.
In addition, the architectural design of another cat house adopts the upper and lower floors of open-ended integration design, with large areas of glass and transparency, emphasizing the comfort of space, following the light and nature. The unconscious harmonious relationship between cats and nature is the best expression of “unconscious architecture”. In the rear area of the building, the inward outdoor garden is the most exciting realm to create inner silence. The inner courtyard echoes the natural waterscape to show the beautiful garden and modern poetry.
Architects: DCDSAA Architecture Office
Lead Architect: Hao Wang
Design Team: Zhengliang Yuan, Chao Tang and Bingkun Yan
Photographs: Qingshan Wu