Chongqing Gaowu Lin Yutang

Gaowu Lin Yutang is a private courtyard in the hills of Nanshan, Chongqing, designed by Chongqing Yuanxi Landscape Design. The studio names all its courtyards "Wasted Time," after a gift of the poet Li Yuansheng's book of that title - the idea that the most valuable hours are those spent without purpose. The site is in the city's southern hills, where Nanshan's topography produces a relaxed, unconstrained way of life. The client, Mr Dai, has a son studying abroad, and the courtyard is intended as the warm, living box that holds the family together in their long-term mountain home. Behind the courtyard lies Tusi Temple, whose morning bells and evening drums set a Zen-inflected, simple and relaxed mood; the design balances environment and architecture in a meditative quiet. Details are intentionally ordinary: an old water vat at the entrance holds a miniature mountain-water scene; a full-moon screen wall inside the gate carries the sound of water, recalling summer childhood. The courtyard is split into active and quiet zones: the west side adjoins the study, with fish swimming below and a jacaranda tree overhead, planted a year earlier and now full, used for tea, conversation and companionship. The east side is the family's main living area, an extension of the kitchen and dining room. A circular water feature reflects the flowering trees in front; above, the mountain breeze drops jacaranda blooms onto the dining table, while below, rocks and grasses edge the wall. The design avoids loud colour, using simple lines, gentle forms, natural materials and extensive glazing that blurs inside and out, so that greenery and tree shadow penetrate every room. Brick, tile, plain walls and floor-to-ceiling glass support a quiet life of tea, reading and writing, far from the city noise. The warmth, however, comes from the family themselves - the friendly Mr Dai, his neighbours, and the family dog Bengbeng chasing his tail in the afternoon. The core team is Yang Lin, Chen Puhe and Li Xin.