Midsummer Dwelling

The client wanted a space that would be suitable for a wide variety of age groups. Given the age difference between the parents and the children the space would have to facilitate activities for the old and the young. The weather in that part of China is hot and humid so much had to be done to passively cool the property. Modern buildings need to use as much passive cooling as possible to reduce the demand on electricity grids during the summer months. There was an existing structure on the land and every effort was made to reuse it in the final structure. The first being the use of vegetation to reduce the temperature, humidity and salinity in the air. Numerous vegetation will be planted in the outdoor space on the east side of the building to increase the natural shade of the outdoors. In the morning, a large number of tall trees block the glare caused by the sun and reduce the discomfort caused by inhabitants indoors. The west side fares much better because the solid walls and grilles that are shaded and insulated can reduce the sunlight entering the room in the afternoon.A large number of green areas are located in the building to allow plants to grow up from the basement, thereby adding a lot of natural light and ventilation to the basement and each floor space. This creates a functional space with a natural atmosphere. In winter, a large amount of cold humid wind blows from the northeast. Therefore, in the northeast of the building, window openings are minimized and solid walls are deliberately built to resist the cold wind. Different from the wet and cold winter, a southwest air blows in summer, and we hope to increase ventilation as much as possible. A large portion of the windows are opened in the southwest of the building, with a large number of green spaces, which purify the air and reduce the temperature. This creates and overall more comfortable space for the interior. In order to deal with the humidity problem associated with the area, an indoor dehumidification corridor is planned. It will use moisture absorption materials such as ceramic tiles, so that the outside moisture is absorbed before entering the room, preventing the indoor humidity from increasing. Thereby reducing the excess carbon caused by air conditioning emission issues. Outdoor terraces of different heights were created. By staggering the heights, users who use the outdoor space can generate visual interaction and connection. The swimming pool and the second floor terrace have a shaped roof to create natural shade as well as accenting the light and shadow. The top plate with the same design technique echoes and connects the two areas. The comprehensive nature of the project, the use of passive cooling and the reuse of the existing structure combine together to make this project very unique.