Development of Suzhou 2017-WG-47 Plot

The project is in the center of Suzhou's old town. To its south lies the renowned and representative Jiangnan classical garden, the Humble Administrator’s Garden. Its north is connected to a river and in its west sits the North Temple Pagoda. Thus, it enjoys an excellent location. Since the plot belongs to the key protected area of the cityscape, it will have a great influence on the construction and development of Suzhou’s old town.

The construction of the plot shows the designer’s memory about the ancient city, and is a heritage of history and culture. The design combines traditional and modern methods to renovate the nearly failing old town of Suzhou.

The project is sited at the heartland of Suzhou's old town, enjoying a unique location. The design draws on the architectural characteristics of Jiangnan buildings, aiming to create a high-end villa product worth of collection.

The project draws on the essence of Suzhou Gardens’ layout design It emphasizes a free-flowing courtyard and the utilization and extension of the interior and exterior spaces. It adopts the core of Jiangnan architectural culture in modelling design. Every component of the building is going to be split, arranged and selected. The interaction between architecture and garden is also valued. Traditional and modern materials are reasonably matched to show the modern Zen spirit in landscape design.

The project acts as the pioneer in China that transforms the traditional Chinese-style villa into the innovative Chinese-style one. All facade components are upgraded from traditional wood to aluminum alloy components. The traditional small gray-tile roofing is replaced with titanium zinc plates but still keeps the original style. The challenge is that it has a long R&D period with high cost.