Daga Architects 大观建筑

Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”

Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Before Rennovation. Image © UK Studio

PINGGU VILLAGE B&B “LIVING BY THE MOUNTAIN”

DAGA Architects

INTERIOR DESIGNERS
DAGA Architects

LANDSCAPE
DAGA Architects

WRITER
Shihao Jiang, Baoning Sun

DESIGN TEAM
Shen Jianghai, Xue Da, Tu Ye, Zhang Henghua, Zhang Bei

PHOTOGRAPHS
UK Studio, Lei Wang, Kaili

AREA
329 m²

YEAR
2021

LOCATION
Beijing, China

CATAGORY
Hotels, Renovation

Text description provided by architect.

The project is located in the village of Qianjishan, Liujiadian Town, at the foot of Yaji Mountain, which is a famous Taoist cultural sanctuary in the Beijing Pinggu District.

Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
B&B in the village. Image © UK Studio
Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
B&B at the foot of the mountain——Day&Night. Image © UK Studio

The site is ideally located, surrounded by mountains and rivers, and from the entrance, you can clearly see the northeastern Taoist temple, the Bixia Yuanjun Temple on Yaji Mountain, a famous Taoist temple in eastern Beijing.

Every April, when the peach blossoms are in full bloom in Pinggu, the Yaji Mountain attracts many nature lovers who come to immerse themselves in this peach forest scene.

Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Front view of the B&B . Image © UK Studio
Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Light and shadow in the sun . Image © UK Studio

This two-story project of approximately 300 sqm has been designed with the use of rectangular interlacing and superimposition to achieve a spatial block composition within the house.

The main body of the building is used as the main block, from which smaller blocks are inserted for variation, and similar blocks are interspersed.

Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Skylight details. Image © Kaili
Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Sunlight shines into the 2nd floor corridor through the skylight. Image © Lei Wang
Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Sunlight shines into the 2nd floor corridor through the skylight. Image © Lei Wang

The inclusion of a large number of right angles gives the building a completely different temperament from its surroundings, on both the facade and inside.

The regular relationship between windows and doors is broken up and floor-to-ceiling windows are added to enhance the building's permeability with the outside world. A portion of the first-floor entrance has been removed to create a natural canopy.

The external extension of the windows also uses irregular rectangular structures interspersed with spatial compositions to make the overall interplay of the building's masses more apparent.

Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Second floor guest rooms. Image © Lei Wang
Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Details of windows and right-angle design. Image © UK Studio
Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
External staircase. Image © UK Studio

The same size windows in the original building have been transformed into rectangular lenses of varying shapes and positions.

The attempt is to separate the uniformity of the peach orchard scene into several landscape paintings.

Integrating the rougher textured paint and the more subtle wood finishes is a wonderful combination.

Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
External staircase. Image © UK Studio
Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Details of windows and right-angle design. Image © UK Studio

The colour of the facade is a warm yellow texture paint and the choice of wood veneer also uses warm tones.

Combined with the warm yellow light of the interior, it seems to speak warmly to visitors passing by.

The use of warm wall lights on the exterior walls to illuminate the walls, unlike the coming and going of natural light, brings a pleasant sensation that can be savoured for a long time.

Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Recreation and flower viewing area. Image © UK Studio
Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Facade details. Image © UK Studio

The external staircase is attached to the surface of the building at a 45° angle, providing an additional link between the internal rooms and the rooftop, as well as giving more flexibility to the space.

Upon entering the interior space, the open design of the first floor enables communication with the outside world and reflects the openness and inclusiveness of the building itself.

Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Recreation and flower viewing area. Image © UK Studio
Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
After Rennovation. Image © UK Studio

On the first floor, there is a bar area, which is made up of slabs of stone and marble to create a sense of relaxation and integration with nature.

In the original building, the second floor was a closed corridor, and the interior was dark because of the lack of light.

Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
A distant view of the B&B and the Yaji Mountain. Image © UK Studio
Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
B&B at the foot of the mountain——Day&Night. Image © UK Studio

Therefore, two light patios are provided at the top of the second-floor corridor and stairwell respectively during the renovation, which not only brings sunlight into the second-floor corridor, so that the occupants can feel the change of sunlight all the time but also opens up the boundary between the second floor and the rooftop.

Standing on the rooftop and looking at the Yaji Mountains, the scenery outside the B&B contrasts with the noisy and lively fast-paced city as if it is a paradise where the pause button of city life has been pressed.

Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Aerial view of B&B. Image © UK Studio


Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
First Floor Plan . Image Courtesy of DAGA Architects
Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Second Floor Plan . Image Courtesy of DAGA Architects


Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
External. Image Courtesy of DAGA Architects
Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Internal structure . Image Courtesy of DAGA Architects
Pinggu Village B&B “Living by the Mountain”
Structural analysis diagram. Image Courtesy of DAGA Architects

Daga Architects 大观建筑
T +86 10 86393604
Daga Architects 大观建筑
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