Public Service Center in Qingshui Village

Qingshui Village is situated in Pingshang Town, Xinshao County, Hunan Province. Surrounded by mountains, it is known as the “longevity village”, with a forest coverage rate of more than 90%. The design team was entrusted to transform the overall village, including the village’s public service center that serves as a public activity venue for local villagers.



During the overall process, the design team adhered to the principle of avoiding large-scale demolition or reconstruction. Instead, the team mainly adopted renovation and transformation methods and made full use of local old materials, with the aim of revitalizing the village and showing the charm of local old materials as well. Only the public service center of Qingshui Village was reconstructed. The building is set back along one side of the site, so as to maximize the activity square space for local villagers. In consideration of the local humid and rainy climate, the building of public service center is topped with overlapping eaves, which can outline a distinctive scene in rainy days.



In Qingshui Village, old houses made of gray tiles and adobe bricks are rare. However, it is these old houses that can express charm of the village. In light of this fact, a host of recycled gray tiles and adobe bricks removed from other structures are applied to the reconstructed public service center, with the goal to show local villagers the unique charm of these plain materials and enable those living in old residences to regain confidence. The scale of public service center is harmonious with other constructions in the village, as if it naturally grows out of the land. The spatial design of the building attaches great importance to reasonable organization of circulation route. Moreover, the design team created many corridors, stairways, terraces, etc., aiming to offer local villagers an activity destination even in rainy days, which is of great significance in Hunan Province characterized by a rainy climate. Besides, there is a special functional space inside the public service center –library which plays an important role in the communication between villagers and between children.