Cusha Village Community Center

A Catalyst for Urban Village Life

We were commissioned by the government to design a community center for Cusha village, which is changing to an overcrowded urban village with concrete block buildings from an old fishing village. Before starting the design, we spent two weeks to make a questionnaire to collect all the requirements from residents in the town. The interesting result is that most people want a fun and playful place rather than a common service center. It was the local voices inspired us to create a new space as a catalyst to restructure meaningful relationships between people.

A Vertical Courtyard Connecting Neighbors

The site is limited in a 25m x 30m square, surrounded by hostels on the west side and hills on the northeast. Instead of enclosing spaces inside the building, we adopt an "Open with Void" strategy to grow three floating public platforms, encouraging social interaction, exploration and creativity. These overlapping terraces generate a new type of vertical courtyard, which connects neighbors with customizable programs. During the day, sun gives light and shadow to the intertwined space, and at night, different floors play various nightlife like illuminated vertical stages.

A Popular Space for Everyone

The new building will become a new attractor for the locals and tourists. On the ground level, children can play with a swing or have a water fight on sands. The lower level is designed for elders and families. You can relax on the bamboo chairs to enjoy a few cups of tea, and play mahjong with friends for a whole day. Youth will love the higher level to have a party or karaoke during the night. In short, the new community center will once again bring people together to create fun times of the village in the future.

Project Video

https://vimeo.com/398765637/a56b9e509b