Text description provided by the architects
Caizhai Village lies in Dadongba Town, Songyang County, surrounded by mountains with the Shicang Stream running through it. It has more than two hundred years of history and is famous for its various tofu products. Traditional family workshops could not meet food-certification standards because of environmental limits, so their market was narrow. The Tofu Workshop merges with the village, following the terrain upward from the village entrance. A cooperative of raw-material suppliers and processors was established, raising the quality of traditional tofu; the cooperative operates the workshop and villagers are direct beneficiaries, with many households joining and raising their incomes. Production spaces step up the slope according to process flow, divided into six zones: raw-material preparation, grinding, boiling, frying, cooling and tasting. All production spaces and equipment meet food-safety standards, so the workshop's tofu now sells in supermarkets in large cities, lifting the village economy. Along one side, a visitor gallery lets tourists follow stairs through the whole production process, finally reaching the tasting area at the top where fresh tofu can be enjoyed while overlooking the historic village across the stream. The workshop uses a modular timber structure, achieving modern production goals while harmonizing with the village's traditional fabric.