Zhashui Villa

This project involves the reconstruction of a traditional homestead into a feng shui-guided mountain residence. The site features a unique topographic pattern with a northwest-high, southeast-low gradient, where a curved western mountain ridge extends into the courtyard. Rooted in the Daoist philosophy of “harmony between heaven and humanity,” the design team transforms strict feng shui principles into poetic living spaces through a spatial narrative balancing rigidity and softness.

The architecture adopts a vertical growth form to respond to the terrain’s elevation changes. Black horizontal panels and ice-crack textured stone create rhythmic facades, while brass accents—like stars dotting the night sky—alleviate visual bulk and imbue the structure with a humble “hidden-in-nature” aura. An S-shaped entry path connects a Taiji-shaped water courtyard, where a sunken pavilion clad in bamboo-imitating aluminum alloy forms a contemporary “bamboo rhythm” installation through steel tube grouting. This design resolves spatial fragmentation caused by the mountain while redefining the relationship between humans and water.

Interiors embrace simplicity and cleanliness, crafting an understated luxurious ambiance with minimalist refinement. A glass-enclosed light courtyard, equipped with a sunlight guidance system, orchestrates an ever-changing play of light and shadow. The entrance’s “Inheriting the Past and Ushering in the Future” installation holds profound symbolism: rough fieldstone, polished marble, and brass unite as a trinity, metaphorically bridging raw nature and human artistry across time. As light shifts, stone textures emerge gradually, while metal elements act as cultural meridians linking past and present, constructing dual realms of materiality and spirituality.