Atelier GOM designed the Shanghai Longnan Garden estate, which is the first social housing project located in the country to stray from high-rise towers. It is commissioned by the district's Assets Supervision and Administration Commission to create low-rent residences. The northern side of the complex has four seven-story buildings to form a U-shaped slightly enclosed courtyard layout. The southern side has three blocks with step-down roofs.
Jiajing Zhang, chief architect at Shanghai-based architecture studio Atelier GOM states "In China, all housing must meet stringent sunlight requirements to ensure each apartment unit within a residential complex receives minimum sunlight during the day, which presents a significant challenge when it comes to designing a housing form. High-rise, low-density determinant housing is the easiest solution, while the enclosed courtyard layout is not commonly used for that reason."
Image Credit: CreatAR
What's Driving This Trend
- Low-rise Social Housing
- Designing housing estates with lower building heights and courtyard layouts to break away from traditional high-rise towers in social housing projects.
- Sunlight-inclusive Residences
- Creating residential complexes that prioritize sunlight accessibility for each apartment unit, challenging the typical high-density housing approach in China.
- Alternative Urban Architectural Designs
- Exploring unconventional layouts like U-shaped courtyards and step-down roofs to offer unique housing solutions and improve residential living experiences.
Who This Affects Most
- Architecture
- Innovating in the field of architecture by reimagining social housing projects with novel designs that prioritize community spaces and sunlight exposure.
- Real Estate Development
- Transforming the real estate industry by introducing low-rise housing concepts that offer a balance between privacy, natural light, and environmental sustainability.
- Construction
- Revolutionizing construction practices by embracing alternative urban architectural designs that challenge traditional norms and enhance the aesthetics of residential complexes.
