Floating courtyard

Floating Courtyard is a renovation of an existing villa with two above-ground floors and one basement level, with ancillary open land distributed around the building. What distinguishes this house from neighboring villas is a gentle 70 cm slope on the east side, an interesting characteristic within an ordinary residential district. From the outset, the design defined the building abstractly, seeking to create a place with invisible living boundaries, unifying all units within a new spatial field where living range extends to every corner of the building. Fair-faced concrete walls and platform are poured as one element, floating above the ground and defining new space. A gap forms between the east-side gentle slope and the new space, making the entire courtyard appear to float in the air, detached from the original environment and creating a new realm. Various trees and rocks are planted within; only clear glass divides interior from exterior, and the elevated new space feels as though it exists outside the community. Two sunken courtyards are introduced, not only providing natural light and visual permeability to the basement, but also adding vertical spatial layers and variation to the above-ground volumes, defining zones within the flat new space and adding strength and solidity. The 25-meter concrete edge walls of this floating space all hang in the air, creating distinctive spatial tension under the physical weight of concrete. The courtyard surface extends outward to connect with the external space, making the courtyard feel infinitely deep. Living within, whether sitting or walking, one always experiences the peace and comfort that come from the of ethereality and strength, creating a distinctive poetic quality of life. This is a free new space where semi-outdoor and open-air courtyards interweave to create a rich interior environment with constantly changing light. In contrast to urban space, this place feels relaxed, escaping city noise. A new kind of semi-outdoor landscape is created within the domestic setting. It is a custom space for living, shaping a new lifestyle through rich layering.