Ancestral House, Fujian, China

PROJECT INFO -

Among the undulating mountains of Fujian Province in China, lies a small village where my ancestors resided. As a respect to those who raised my father, an adopted infant, during the time of poverty, many years passed, the ancestral house had its time to come to its realization.Due to the site constraints, the front façade appears in a shape of a pagoda, together with its neighbors, the Chinese character “Mountain” is formed, echoing with the mountains and forests behind.The roof is designed in the shape of a Chinese character ‘Human’, which is the base unit that forms a family. It also looks like a family tree, symbolizing blessing from the ancestors, where a larger 'Human' character is sheltering 2 smaller 'Human' characters below, away from the rain and harsh weather.Due to my family’s western experience, a triangular Greek pediment is introduced, not only it echoes with the shape of the roof, the stability of the pagoda like front façade is also strengthened.

The convex shape of the house massing interlocks with the concaved back yard, symbolizing ‘Yin-Yang’ and balance, whilst offering an infused, yet dependent dialogue between inside and outside.This ancestral house is inspired by a distinctive type of vernacular architecture in the surrounding context, in which the symbol for ‘Earth’, ‘Human’ and ‘Heaven’ are constructed in a sequential order to follow the terrain of the mountain..At the meantime, the procedural experience of the house provides certain life-long enlightenment and interpretations. Starting with the rectangular front yard, which symbolizes ‘Earth’, has a rocky finish, entering into it, one might feel like a child, starting to learn how to walk, after 3 steps, arriving on the elevated platform, the ordered yet faceted daily life are therefore to be experienced, which are welcomed by the living, dinning and kitchen spaces.

The convex shape of the house massing interlocks with the concaved back yard, symbolizing ‘Yin-Yang’ and balance, whilst offering an infused, yet dependent dialogue between inside and outside.This ancestral house is inspired by a distinctive type of vernacular architecture in the surrounding context, in which the symbol for ‘Earth’, ‘Human’ and ‘Heaven’ are constructed in a sequential order to follow the terrain of the mountain..At the meantime, the procedural experience of the house provides certain life-long enlightenment and interpretations. Starting with the rectangular front yard, which symbolizes ‘Earth’, has a rocky finish, entering into it, one might feel like a child, starting to learn how to walk, after 3 steps, arriving on the elevated platform, the ordered yet faceted daily life are therefore to be experienced, which are welcomed by the living, dinning and kitchen spaces.

Completed: 2019

Photography: XIA ZHI