Village House

For this apartment in a rural village near Hong Kong, Plot Architecture Office choose to create a coherency between the interior and the terrace to embrace the rural living.

Deep in the suburb of Hong Kong, a 65 sqm ground floor unit of a local village house is set next to a 110 sqm terrace with a glimpse of the South China Sea.

Plot Architecture Office design searches for a stronger coherency between the unit and the terrace as a means to embrace rural living. The constraint of the limited opening, which is the only connection between the unit and the terrace, becomes the challenge.

To relate elements that speak to our senses, a carved stone, a water surface and a deck structure are introduced. These components are arranged to create a series of sensory experiences that can be appreciated from both the unit and the terrace.

On arrival, the carved stone that appears at the vanishing point sits in the open and also functions as a tea table looking to the sea and sky. A bare concrete wall stretches horizontally from the stone to the water to form an extended view that can be appreciated from the timber deck. The silhouette of the surrounding greeneries is reflected on the water surface, which also emits the sound of flowing water. At the connection between the unit and the terrace, the covered deck is positioned to provide a semi-open place that connects with nature, where one can meditate and a group can gather.

Materials are sourced regionally to complement the original aged granite wall and the row of native trees, Chinese Junipers, that surround the site. This includes the Chinese river stones and blue bricks, which are laid to align and to tie in the carved stone, the water surface and the timber deck. The three components together create an interconnection of sensory experience, which also strengthens the link between the unit and its terrace.