as an attempt to reconstruct and revitalize jiang village of nothern china, yuan ye architects have built a small hotel community composed of ten local residential courtyards, three public cultural buildings and two treehouses in the forest. the abandoned village is located on the banks of the yellow river at the junction of henan and shandong province, and it has a history of more than 400 years.

small hotel complex design revitalizes abandoned village in northern china

birdview of jiang village and the yellow river
all images courtesy of yuan ye architects

 

 

apart from the open and public spaces and the tree houses, the project by yuan ye architects, also includes infrastructure transformation, overall village protection and organic renewal. the reconstruction plan emphasizes the close relationship between the village and the yellow river, the forest and farmland, and respects the texture and original landscape. 

small hotel complex design revitalizes abandoned village in northern china
birdview of a courtyard and the yellow river

 

 

the renovated buildings showcase the L-shaped and U-shaped courtyard pattern of the local residential buildings, while maintaining the external wall material characteristics of rammed earth, local brick and stone. in addition, the slightly arched wooden roof frame forms, yellow mud roofs and staggered brick cornices are preserved to strengthen the structure of the long abandoned buildings, add internal thermal insulation, and improve the height of indoor space for ventilation and lighting.

small hotel complex design revitalizes abandoned village in northern china
courtyard of village hotel

 

 

the village cultural center has been formed from the original sheep pen and pigsty of the villagers’ houses. its functions include a library, a country bar, an exhibition hall and a restaurant. this building has become the social gathering point and cultural exhibition center for the whole community. the newly-built tree houses float within the woods, and their arched roof is unified with the folk houses, becoming the container of the scenery.

small hotel complex design revitalizes abandoned village in northern china
courtyard of village hotel

 

 

as a ‘rural poverty alleviation’ project supported by charitable donation funds, villagers receive part of the income of the hotel operation by investing their houses and land into ‘cooperatives’. in this way, the issue of poverty in the area is stlowly but steadily confronted, while the villagers become the main beneficiaries. the building reconstruction is completed by the local villagers, so as to reproduce and continue the traditional local techniques and methods, as well as the cultural customs, strengthening the identity and cohesion of the rural community. through their work, the architects hope to provide a new idea for the future development of china’s poor villages. 

small hotel complex design revitalizes abandoned village in northern china
view of hotel from forest 

small hotel complex design revitalizes abandoned village in northern china
the brick wall of the village cultural center

reconstruction of jiang village rebirth of an abandoned village on the banks of the yellow river 8

reconstruction of jiang village rebirth of an abandoned village on the banks of the yellow river 9

reconstruction of jiang village rebirth of an abandoned village on the banks of the yellow river 10

 

 

project info:

 

 

name: reconstruction of jiang village – rebirth of an abandoned village on the banks of the yellow river
architecture office: yuan ye architects

 

 

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: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom