Tea OZ

The site is located in Mogan Mountain Town, Zhejiang Province. It was once home to several primitive villages built on the mountainside. However, due to the tourism development of the Mogan Mountain Scenic Area in the 21st century, the residential function of the villages gradually faded, transforming into a commercial space mainly focused on tourism and vacation. The site used to be a residence with a beautiful wooden structure house, and it had a 200-square-meter courtyard in front. According to the memories of the elderly former homeowner who once lived here, the building was constructed by their ancestors, likely built during the late Qing Dynasty or early Republic of China period, making it over a century old. Before the renovation, the building was in a semi-abandoned state. The first floor was occasionally maintained, the courtyard was used as a vegetable garden, and the second floor had completely fallen into disrepair.

© wen studio

© wen studio

© wen studio

before © 奥室建筑

The client hopes to transform the old house into a commercial space combining tea drinks and retail functions. The main challenges of the renovation are twofold: first, the existing wooden structure can no longer meet modern demands for architectural boundaries, requiring adjustments to the supporting structure; second, it is essential to preserve the existing building while introducing modern commercial functions.

The overall strategy for the renovation is to introduce two glass boundaries into the site. One is inserted into the existing building, adding a climate boundary without affecting its visual attributes or structure, serving as the main activity space during extreme weather conditions. The other is independently placed in the courtyard, incorporating a large amount of water and electrical equipment necessary for the tea-drink functions, and also serving as the main circulation space for the entire site. Both glass volumes are constructed with steel and glass interfaces that reflect contemporary characteristics, creating a juxtaposition with the existing old house both internally and externally.

© wen studio

© wen studio

© wen studio

Before the renovation design, we conducted a comprehensive survey and repair of the existing building. Since most of the beams and columns showed signs of damage from woodworms and termites, the initial repair involved sealing and applying insecticide. The decayed internal wooden partition walls, the first-floor facade, the second-floor decking, and the roof were all demolished, exposing the long-sealed wooden structure for repair. The relatively well-preserved wooden boards were re-treated for preservation and cutting, and were used in the reconstruction of the second-floor decking.

To ensure the building retains its original features while keeping costs low, the roofing and wall construction methods were not altered, and no insulation or sealing measures were added. The repair work only replaced the damaged purlins and protective wall panels, and when re-roofing, the original tiles were reused. This problem-solving approach to the repair strategy successfully preserved the craftsmanship and atmosphere of the building from its initial construction.

© wen studio

© wen studio

© wen studio

© wen studio

before © 奥室建筑

The newly inserted two-story volume in the old house has a completely independent structural system, from the foundation to the roof, ensuring the integrity of the original wooden structure. The glass interface not only creates a complete climate boundary, with an air conditioning system, but also guarantees visual transparency, allowing natural daylight from the roof to enter the otherwise dark and enclosed building.

The first floor serves as a public tea-drink area, while the second floor is used as two separate tea rooms. A section of the second-floor decking in the center of the building was removed to create an open space, which is integrated with a newly built steel staircase. The complete removal of the building's front facade and the introduction of water features blur the boundaries of the structure, making the original building an integral part of the surrounding landscape.

© wen studio

© wen studio

© wen studio

© wen studio

before © 奥室建筑

The other glass structure is independently placed in the courtyard and houses the tea-drink space, including the bar counter and supporting facilities. Since this section requires significant electrical equipment and water usage, the design in the courtyard ensures that the infrastructure and piping layout do not affect the original house. The power distribution within the old house only meets the basic lighting needs.

Within the glass interface, we used bamboo-steel construction to create a separate structure that integrates the tea-drink service area, restroom, and sunshade roof. The roof, made of composite bamboo louvers, simulates the curved roofline of the old house, creating different light-grid effects at various times of the day. The independent structure serves as both a visual boundary within the space and a response to modern functional requirements, while also reflecting the precision of traditional architecture in terms of form and construction.

© wen studio

© wen studio

© wen studio

© wen studio

The two interface volumes, one "embedded" and the other "external," form two systems that are both related and relatively independent, in relation to the original building on the site. The existing structure no longer functions as an enclosed space, but rather becomes a purely visual boundary, a landscape that already exists within the site. The old house and the contemporary construction are boldly juxtaposed and face each other at both ends of the courtyard, standing in contrast yet complementing one another.

Due to the separation of the climate and visual boundaries, the concept of "form" in both buildings becomes blurred. Those within the space can experience the layered richness of the environment created by simple manipulations of form.

Project Location: China, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province

Project Type: Commercial/Retail

Building Area: 220 square meters

Interior (Architectural) Design: Aoshu Architecture

1F Plan

Section

Axon

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