@INSITU PROJECT
MIAOXIA GUESTHOUSE MIAOXIA, SICHUAN, CHINA
PREMISE Miaoxia is a rural village southwest of Chengdu. The village houses typically have a "through type timber frame” (穿斗木結構) structure, appropriate for earthquake areas, where the mortise and tenon structures provide some degree of lateral stability in the event of an earthquake. Some of the older houses were affected by previous earthquakes and therefore show a tilted structure and façade, which were once straightened after the earthquake and fixed with new wedges in the mortice and tenon joints. However although these houses were tilted, the structure was still functioning and they continued to be occupied by the villager.
tilted by earthquakes
THE DERELICT SITE The site was a derelict house sitting on top of an approximately 2m high cliff. Since it was built spontaneously as an addition to the original courtyard, the structure was unstable and inefficient. This scheme demolishes the existing structure, which is replaced by a new-built wing over hanging on top of the cliff.
bad structure
Living Office WC Children Washing Food & Drink
BUILDING PROGRAMME This scheme increases the guesthouse’s capacity upto a maximum of 20 guests. The new wing comprises of 3 masses under 1 continuous roof with a diagnoal ridge, introducing a variety of unique spatial qualities to the building. 2 of the masses is made of timber, levitating over 2m above ground level, these masses accommodate a social worker office while which strengthens the bond between social services and the villagers, a tea room for leasure and a family suite that is blessed with a panoramic view of the village. The mass sitting in between the old and new wings is made of brick, serving as a bathroom for guests and a children play room on upper floor for children whose parents work far away from the village.
BUILDING STRUCTURE The building design pushes local building custom to its limits. The diagonal roof ridge disrupts typical structural grid compatible with the through type technique. It introduces new columns and new facade possibilities. In developing the structure, 1:40 structure model created to test the feasibility of the design according to the local building techniques. The model is also a useful communication tool delivering ideas to local carpenters.
CONSTRUCTION The villagers actively engaged and participated in all aspects of conceptualisation, design, construction and realisation of both the building and the ecological solution to waste treatment. Workshops and training sessions with the villagers, utilising local knowledge, expertise and customs, proved invaluable for the successful implementation of the guesthouse.
G/F Plan
COURTYARD The guesthouse extension forms an L-shaped courtyard garden with orchard trees fertilized by the treated wastewater from a low technology community septic tank which can additionally treat waste from surrounding village houses. This was conceived to provide better amenities and facilities and to help upgrade the village towards sustainable development. The project uses timber frame construction to reinforce and revitalise the patrimony and associated skills and community pride of timber buildings in the area. This traditional technology is adapted through the insertion of a diagonal to provide increased longitudinal bracing for additional earthquake resistance. This resulted in a canted roofline which maintains a modest profile to the old courtyard but which is more open to the public square.
1/F Plan