New Life for an Old Rural House in China

New Life for an Old Rural House in China

The Studio Cottage project by Christian Taubert and San Min is an initiative to sustain rural communities in the suburbs of Beijing, China. The architect and designer focused on the issue of rural depopulation and the fact that most working-age people migrate from small villages to large cities in search of jobs. Rural communities are mostly left with grandparents and sometimes their grandchildren. This project is based on the idea of moderate gentrification, which can lead to gradual improvement in living conditions for the remaining rural residents.

Traditionally, houses of this type are divided into three rooms with clay partitions from floor to ceiling. In this project, all internal walls were demolished to create one large open space of 76 square meters. The traces of the former central kitchen area are visible on the wooden ceiling, which has darkened from smoke. No finishing was applied to the existing brickwork or new additions, keeping the interior as bare as possible.

The two bedrooms are located at both ends of the house, offering views of the garden. The beds are a modification of the traditional Chinese kana—a brick bed with thick clay coating, through which hot air flows from the stove to the chimney. Fully glazed doors from floor to ceiling erase the boundaries between interior and exterior, especially in summer when they remain open throughout the day, ensuring sufficient air circulation to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature without additional cooling.