Li Wenxi Architects 郦文曦建筑事务所

Cliff House

Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin

Cliff House 

Li Wenxi Architects

STRUCTURES
Wuji Zhou, Shangliang Lin, Shunchi Wu, Shengtao Ye, Pengfei Lai

MANUFACTURERS
元茂建材-十堰当地加工厂

LEAD ARCHITECT
Wenxi Li

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER
Hongying Wang

WATER SUPPLY AND DRAINAGE DESIGN
Yujuan Jiang

PHOTOGRAPHS
Weiqi Jin

AREA
450 M²

YEAR
2023

LOCATION
Shiyan, China

CATEGORY
Houses

Four years ago, a gentleman who opened a factory in Dongguan contacted our office via email and said that there was a plot of land in his hometown, Xunxi County, Shiyan.

Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin
Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin

He wanted to build a house and asked me to help him design it. After a detailed discussion, I learned that the local transportation was inconvenient, and the transportation of building materials was very difficult.

In addition, the surrounding population was sparse, so the labor cost was relatively high. Moreover, at that time, I was working in Tokyo and it was impossible to stay in Xunxi County for a long time.

Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin
Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin
Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin

This series of difficulties made me want to push out this design at one point, but after seeing the site, I decided to proceed for one reason only: the cliff.

Geometry of Mountains: Yunxi County, is a small county located in Shiyan, Hubei Province, China. Which is adjacent to the Qinling Mountains in the north and the Han River in the south. The traffic is inconvenient. .

Our site is hidden deeply in the mountains. The site was obtained by the owner by digging the hillside tens of meters high in the north. The cliff is hard and its rough texture is like a giant palmprint.

Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin
Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin
Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin

The valley there is quiet, with morning mist filled. The cliffs block the cold wind from the north and wrap the site inside. The corners of the peaks, the straightness of the cliffs, and the curvature of the mountain roads all hint at some geometric elements.

The wall of the building turns diagonally to surround the western side of the mountain, which forms a narrow entrance.The second floor of the house echoes the trend of the mountain with an arc wall. The beams of the building are huge, protruding from the north and south sides as if growing from a cliff.

The north side of the house approaches the cliff, forming a narrow linear garden. The south side of the house faces the green mountains and opens to embrace nature.

Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin
Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin
Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin

The conical space on the roof responds to the shape of the mountains, with only two circular windows inside that can see the external scenery.The light comes from above, making it an introspective space to face oneself alone. Square, Circle, Triangle, and Turning Line.

The building adopts four types of elements: Square, Circle, Triangle, and Turning Line to respond to local life: "square" refers to the living room and bedroom, that is, the regular living routine; 'Circle' refers to the entrance and skylight, that is, the sensual side face of the house; The 'triangle' is like a mountain shape and also a meditation space towards the heart; The 'turning line' is the wall that encapsulates and accommodates the surrounding environment.

Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin
Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin

I have always believed that in the face of nature, every inquiry from a person will receive a response, and the more obvious the action, the more direct nature's response becomes.

The mutual reference between geometry and nature has become the source of architectural spatial beauty.

Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin
Cliff House

Coarse and Delicate: Nowadays, many people like concrete, but what they like is not the original rough texture of concrete, but the treated smooth surface.

As an important component of concrete, aggregates were initially extracted from the mountains. When I saw the cliff walls, I realized that silk and smoothness were not their original properties. Concrete should maintain its rough and tough texture like hard stones.

However, roughness can also be delicate: what remains between the walls is the persimmon tree in front of the house, and between the beams, columns, and the floor slab, divine light is poured freely, all of which will bring a dense atmosphere to the building.

Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin
Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin
Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin

After four springs, the house was finally completed. Cliff House "is the third independent residence built by our studio.

It has been 15 years since I first worked on house design in college.

 Some people say that architecture is an art of delayed gratification. I believe that as long as I love drifting, the images in my mind will emerge years later.

Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin
Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin


Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin
Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin
Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin


Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin
Cliff House
© Weiqi Jin


Cliff House
Plan - Ground floor
Cliff House
Plan - Second floor
Cliff House
Plan - Third floor
Cliff House
Plan - Site plan


Cliff House
Section
Cliff House
Section


Cliff House
Diagram
Cliff House
Axo

Li Wenxi Architects 郦文曦建筑事务所
T +86 152 50026927
Li Wenxi Architects 郦文曦建筑事务所
No. 166, Wenyuan North Rd, Qiantang new area, Xiasha Street, Hangzhou, China 浙江省杭州市下沙街道钱塘新区文渊北路166号