House of Cracks

House of Cracks
East facade

HOUSE OF CRACKS

Cha office

ARCHITECTS
Cha office

MANUFACTURERS
Dongfang Jingran Building Decoration

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
Zhi Cheng

DESIGN TEAM
Zhi Cheng, Youjiang Zhang

CLIENT
Yufei Qin

PHOTOGRAPHS
Yumeng Zhu, Zhi Cheng

AREA
320 m²

YEAR
2019

LOCATION
Beijing, China

CATEGORY
House

Text description provided by architect.

After the passing of the clients’ father, she, along with her husband decided to move into her mother’s home along with their 5 year old son.

House of Cracks
East facade. Image © Zhi Cheng
House of Cracks
Trees in the yard. Image © Zhi Cheng

Because of the increase in family members, the old house needed to be rebuilt to accommodate 5 people, namely the wife and husband, the grandmother, the son, and their dog, Chuanchuan.

The project is located in Pinggu District, Beijing, a typical example of an area nearby large city but with a comparatively slow rate of development.

We kept a gap between our building and the neighbor’s. A true open air “yard” appeared.

House of Cracks
The northern section of the yard. Image © Zhi Cheng
House of Cracks
Chuanchuan and Yard
House of Cracks
Stairway to 2F. Image © Zhi Cheng

An independent building with four facades facing out toward the air takes the place of the so called “town house” which directly touched one another.

This was our first “crack” within the design; via the open yard, sunlight would arrive the north wall in winter.

According to local planning laws, new buildings should not be more than 2 floors.

House of Cracks
Stairway to the second floor
House of Cracks
The main living room on 1st floor. Image © Zhi Cheng

In addition, our new building needed to be at a height of 10 meters in reference to that of the neighbor’s. As a project goal, we need to design a building with 2 floors, 10 meters high.

It may cause problem if we just divided 10 meters equally in to two floors.

House of Cracks
The main living room on 1st floor
House of Cracks
The main living room

As a result, we designed different heights in different areas, high ceiling chambers full of sunlight with clear, far views. Along with low ceilings, quiet and in shadow with plenty of privacy.

The spacial conditions vary, with differences between areas facing the urban environment or the “yard in gap”.

House of Cracks
The Book room on 2nd floor. Image © Zhi Cheng
House of Cracks
The moon shaped crack provide a route linking different public rooms

Half of the building incorporates high ceilings on the first floor, with low ceilings on the second floor.

In the other half, low ceilings are on the first floor, high ceilings on the second. This relationship generates a new “crack” existing between left and right.

House of Cracks
Hight difference
House of Cracks
Stairway to the roof. Image © Zhi Cheng

In first floor rooms which incorporate high ceilings, we kept a distance between walls and ceiling, the 800mm high “cracks” providing possibilities to link various rooms, and make all spaces form a single entity.

And in second floor, the 800mm height became a huge desk surrounding the book room.

House of Cracks
The main living room and stair way to the second floor. Image © Zhi Cheng

I focus on “continuity” a lot and try to incorporate it into each of our projects. “House of Cracks” is no exception.

As technology develops and people’s customs change, the daily lives of Chinese families have also changed dramatically.

House of Cracks
Entrance space
House of Cracks
Kitchen. Image © Zhi Cheng

The traditional family system has collapsed, and the close relationships between family members have quickly faded away. House of cracks connect different public area also connect indoor and outdoor.

The entrance space, kitchen, living room, book room, etc., they contrast the independent nature of the bedrooms.

House of Cracks
Grandma's bedroom. Image © Zhi Cheng
House of Cracks
The Main living room and yard

An invisible force and regulation is formed. Besides sleeping, people are encouraged to meet one another and enjoy life as a family.

All "cracks" which are formed by tectonic logic, provide light, shadow, wind, fresh air, and the freedom of people's action and view.

House of Cracks
The Book room and the urban environment


House of Cracks
The entrance space. Image © Zhi Cheng
House of Cracks
Main bedroom
House of Cracks
Roof. Image © Zhi Cheng
House of Cracks
North facade and surrounding evironment


House of Cracks
master plan
House of Cracks
1F plan
House of Cracks
2F plan
House of Cracks
3F plan


House of Cracks
original site
House of Cracks
axonometric 1F
House of Cracks
details
House of Cracks
Courtesy of Chaoffice


House of Cracks
sections
House of Cracks
axonometric
House of Cracks
sections
House of Cracks
sections


House of Cracks
model variety of height
House of Cracks
model variety of height
House of Cracks
model for volume test