Inspired by common Taiwanese terrace-style houses, the multi-storied residential building block designed by Shen Ting Tseng Architects rethinks this particular housing model. The project highlights the lian-dong and tou-tian elements: respectively the continuous housing block and the terrace houses with roof gardens.
Residential Taiwan
Shen Ting Tseng Architects rethink the traditional Taiwanese terrace houses with a residential building made of “breathing pockets” between houses at each level, and with roof gardens.
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- 23 March 2017
- Zhubei City
Traditionally, tou-tian described the relationship between man and nature, while lian-dong suggested a dependent relationship between neighbors. Nowadays the contemporary version has lost this connection to its original intensions: although people have land, the relationship between neighbors and nature has greatly diminished. The Light-house project encourages the spatial encounters in connection with the natural environment by introducing “breathing pockets” between spaces and within each level: courtyards, balconies, terraces, and light wells. These elements are designed in relationship to their internal staircases, rooms and open spaces in order to generate a layered spatial relationship vertically and horizontally within each multi-leveled unit, creating private spaces within open spaces and generating a sense of retreat within a vast space.
The openings and windows bring in natural light and ventilation. Natural light extends to every corner of the home, creating brighter interior spaces and allowing growth and vitality of indoor greenery. The facade recedes inward to create a visual gap between houses, while retaining spatial possibilities for chance encounters between neighboring properties – creating a home environment where “inside as outside, outside as inside”.
Light-house, Zhubei City, Hsinchu County, Taiwan
Program: residential building
Architects: Shen Ting Tseng Architects
Completion: 2016