- Project: Terraced Courtyard
- Architect: TEAM BLDG
- Location: China, Hangzhou
- Year: 2021
- Area: 2033 m2
- Photography: Jonathan Leijonhufvud
In 2021, TEAM_BLDG transformed the long-abandoned Longwu Spring Water Plant in Qingshan Village, Hangzhou, into Qingshan Co-Space, a 21,883-square-foot mixed-use hub designed for residence, work, exhibition, and leisure. Known as the Terraced Courtyard, the project redefines rural architecture by introducing a model of co-living and co-working, connecting local villagers with newcomers while strengthening the village’s cultural and social fabric.
Context: Between Tradition and Change
Qingshan Village, in Hangzhou’s Yuhang District, has seen its traditional housing stock largely replaced by new self-built villas. While few historic buildings remain, the natural settlement pattern along the river is preserved, surrounded by farmland, bamboo groves, and the Longwu Reservoir. This landscape shaped the architects’ approach—creating spaces that feel both natural and communal, addressing the dual desire for integration with the environment and the creation of “real space” rooted in daily life.
Design Concept: Terraces and Greenhouses
The former factory complex consisted of a three-story half-frame main building with attached podiums. TEAM_BLDG reinterpreted this industrial heritage into a layered architectural and landscape system:
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Terraced Roofs: The podium’s original units were expanded into stepped, 0.75-meter terraces forming a “回” shape. These host planting areas, leisure spaces, and walkways, allowing residents to grow vegetables and herbs while fostering social interaction.
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Movable Plant Racks: Over sixty modular planters on the main roof create flexible groupings of gardens and gathering spots, enhancing community life.
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Greenhouse Exhibition Hall: A 7-meter-high polycarbonate greenhouse inserted into the main building becomes the heart of the project. It doubles as an exhibition space themed around water, with natural light refracting through skylights to create shifting atmospheres.
This design approach reflects the agricultural spirit of the village while adapting industrial structures to new communal uses.
Interiors: Flexibility and Shared Life
The 23 guest rooms on the upper floors provide accommodations for both long-term and short-term stays, while public areas encourage openness and adaptability:
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Ground Floor: A public exhibition hall, shared office, and reading space connected visually by a living green wall. Open layouts encourage fluid use and self-organization by residents.
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Semi-Enclosed Pods: Private “station-style” rooms are strategically placed along circulation paths, offering moments of solitude within a collective environment.
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Conference & Workshop Spaces: Minimal partitions, glass curtain walls, and level changes create spatial variation without rigid boundaries, supporting a mix of work, leisure, and community activity.
Courtyard: A Gathering Place for All
At the center lies the open courtyard, anchored by three large sapium trees that provide shade and seasonal change. A shallow bluestone pool reflects light and movement, creating an outdoor stage for interaction and community events. The design underscores the principle that trees gather people, reinforcing the courtyard as the social heart of the project.
Construction Approach: Low-Tech and Local
Building in a rural context required balancing cost, craft, and adaptation. TEAM_BLDG emphasized low-tech methods, local materials, and hand-crafted finishes. For example:
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Exterior walls were finished with textured paint in hues echoing the red soils of the surrounding mountains.
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Original factory chandeliers were restored and repurposed.
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Furniture and fittings were designed specifically for the project, integrating locally sourced timber and handmade elements.
This process fostered continuity between design, construction, and local craftsmanship, ensuring authenticity and environmental harmony.
The Terraced Courtyard by TEAM_BLDG demonstrates how adaptive reuse can revitalize rural communities, turning an abandoned water plant into a vibrant hub that blurs boundaries between living, working, and leisure. By weaving together terraced landscapes, greenhouse exhibitions, and communal courtyards, the project creates a flexible, nature-connected architecture that strengthens both social bonds and cultural identity.
