the domestic landscape reimagined in guangzhou china: a private apartment by INSPIRATION GROUP

INSPIRATION GROUP reimagines the domestic environment as a boundless landscape of interactions in this classic townhouse in guangzhou’s yuexiu district. leading architect thomas xie’s third residential renovation sees his focus on family member relationships through spatial design illustrated to the fullest. ‘in addition to the basic functions, maybe we should consider the intimacy of a family,’ says xie of his design approach. 

all photos courtesy of zaohui huang

built in 1919, the narrow, three-story house was once home to the owner, her husband and their five children. as only four members of the family are currently occupying the residence, the many individual spaces that were once useful are now not only empty, but have become barriers, limiting the communication between family members. the designer’s concept of ‘the boundaryless’ rearranged the space according to the existing residents’ needs and offered a solution to the darkness and humidity within the structure.

after removing all non-functional boundaries and altering the floor plan, the ‘core tube’, the main circulation route containing the stairs and elevator, interconnects all the rooms of the house. by opening up the space to the front and back yards and introducing various skylights, the designer was able to provide sufficient ventilation and natural lighting in the interior.

the design of the kitchen combines the chinese and western styles

by moving the boards hung above, family members can choose between a closed, chinese-style kitchen or an open, western-like space

a key element during the design process was the abundance of memories linked to the family’s past. with the owner’s wish to commemorate her late husband’s legacy, the architect created a room between the second and third floor dedicated to leisure and cultural activities. family members can gather to watch old videos through a projector, share stories and view their father’s paintings. in addition, 27 pieces of furniture acquired during the republic of china era were restored by hand and can be found around the house.

a room between the second and third floor is dedicated to leisue and cultural activities 

the new domestic space is designed around the concept of togetherness

the intention was to reduce the feeling of separation in the house

the designer has created a lot of sighting intersects using cavities, opposite windows and special doors

all bedrooms are on the second and third floor

original patterned tiles are found in the workshop, along with a book cabinet and swivel chair from the republic of china era

more areas for plants are designed in the rooftop garden, providing the family with their own green oasis amidst the busy city

the original townhouse dates back to 1919

project info:

design studio: INSPIRATION GROUP
design director: thomas xie
designers: maggie yu, james jiang, mafa ye, dina ding, jen wang, joyce song
project name: the boundaryless
location: yuexiu district, guangzhou, china
type: residential
total floor area: 375 m2

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: sofia lekka angelopoulou | designboom