# Unconventional Chinese Housing Estates Atelier GOM Designs the Longnan Garden Estate By Amy Duong | Published 2024-03-23 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/longnan-garden References: [dezeen](https://www.dezeen.com/2024/03/22/longnan-garden-estate-shanghai-china-social-housing-revival/) & [gom.cn](http://www.gom.com.cn/)  [Atelier GOM](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sunner-museum) designed the Shanghai Longnan Garden estate, which is the first [social housing project](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lady-raval) 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 ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.3/10 - Popularity: 15% | Activity: 3% | Freshness: 22% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### 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. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Multifamily Canadian Housing Developments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grow-project.md) - [Housing Collective Projects](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/la-comunidad-habitacional.md) - [Low-Rise Residential Developments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/residences-at-sanford-lodge.md) - [Lush Garden Housing Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/volante.md) - [Social Housing Unit Blocks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/54-social-housing.md) - [Contemporary Infill Housing](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/goldsmith-mews.md) - [Steel-Cladded Social Housing](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/social-housing-1.md) - [Curved Green Roof-Topped Museums](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sunner-museum.md) - [Modern Concrete Community Residences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hoji-gangneung.md)