Located in the core of Beijing’s old town, the building is part of an urban operation that aims to improve life quality through the renovation of several courtyard-buildings of the traditional zayuan type, formed by an irregular open space and a cluster of additions.

Through its hybrid status, the zayuan fosters a sense of belonging to a neighborhood, and this capacity to link architecture to the idea of a community is precisely what the project has sought to revive, with most of the interfaces designed to be implemented in a rotational manner in order to create many and varied possibilities of space use: exhibitions, cultural events, and academic seminars as well as offices, a café, and living space.

The original building’s pitched roof was restored, as was the house’s traditional form around the courtyard. Low-quality additions made over the years were replaced by lighter, less bulky pavilions. The overall layout presents three courtyards: one large, two small. The use of prefab laminated bamboo minimized disturbances during construction. The intervention was thought out with the idea of juxtaposing old and new in all areas: construction, structure, and space.