Hypersity

Home In High Latitude

Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma

HOME IN HIGH LATITUDE

hyperSity architects

ARCHITECTS
hyperSity Architects

MANUFACTURERS
Vmzinc, Nippon

PHOTOGRAPHS
Han Ma

AREA
28 m²

YEAR
2017

LOCATION
Haerbin, China

CATEGORY
Houses

Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma

Text description provided by architect.

The project is nominated to the nonprofit program “Dream of Decoration”, which is located at 5th Liaoyang Street in Harbin, the heart of the entire city.

Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma

As a small bungalow at the entrance of the courtyard, the renovated bungalow is located in a large Russian style compound, which is composed of national protected buildings of eclecticism.

The bungalow was originally a room for security-guard with a floor area of 28.77 square meters only.

Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma

For some historical reasons, it was changed to ordinary residence, with property rights, and being continuously expanded exteriorly for a family of three.

The biggest challenge of the entire project is to resolve the current problem to satisfy the family's needs, while still maintains a dialogue with surrounding historic neighborhood.

It is neither a simple way to replicate traditional Russian style eclectic architecture, nor to escape the environmental constraints, and it is to be sure to strike a balance between the two.

Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma

The new building foundation is dug below 2 meters, so as to effectively avoid the damage caused by frost expansion on the frozen soil layer.

The new house is designed as a very wrapped mass, an extra 15cm insulation is added to the foundation, the wall and the roof, which fundamentally solves the problem of stability and cold.

In the face of construction in the high latitudes warmth retention property, the sun is one of the most important factors.

Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma

Due to the fact that the orientation of the land plot not facing south and north, and is blocked by the surrounding high-rise buildings, it cannot get a good angle of sunlight.

Therefore, the design of the new building cuts a triangular opening in the direction of the south, which can guarantee that the whole house has at least three hours of sunshine in the winter, thus to improve the residential comfort of the whole house.

Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma

Southern gables adopted traditional Shou-Sugi-Ban, and northern gable wall adopted Nippon composited board with better thermal insulation and heat preservation.

The main body of the building including roof and wall is continually covered by titanium zinc plate, which can effectively avoid the snow cover in roof and reduce the maintenance cost of the owner in the future.

Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma

By utilizing height on the south side, loft area is designed to enlarge the usage ratio of indoor space. South-facing triangular windows bring light and warmth to the entire living room.

The triangular openings of different sizes of the south facade create a rich lighting environment for the interior, as well as a variety of outdoor scenes for the indoor space.

Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma

The linear window in the eastern side opens from the roof to the facade, providing ample light for daily living. The entire wall of the building is designed as a concealed cabinet, which provides large storage areas, as well as functioning the indoor insulation for the building.

To satisfy the demands of outdoor activities, the courtyard is accordingly divided into a variety of planting space, from vegetable plot space, shrubs area to recreation space. Courtyard landscape is the spatial continuation of architectural geometry.

Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma

The new building eventually returns to the original height and planned area, which become the new constituent element in the compound. It is neither the ancillary of the Russian mansion nor the forsaken entity as the former bungalow. It has been re-erected in a new and determined position in the historic district.


Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma


Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma
Home In High Latitude
© Han Ma


Home In High Latitude
Section
Home In High Latitude
Section
Home In High Latitude
1F Axon
Home In High Latitude
2F Axon


Home In High Latitude
Courtesy of hyperSity architects
Home In High Latitude
1F Plan
Home In High Latitude
2F Plan
Home In High Latitude
Roof Plan

Home In High Latitude
Courtesy of HDD


Home In High Latitude
Birdview

Hypersity
Hypersity
A1-8b Langyuan Station, Banjieta Road 53,Chaoyang District Beijing 100018, China