Atelier 6C renovated a 1930s house in an ancient town in Shanghai, China

Architect: Atelier 6C
General Enquiry: info@atelier6c.cc
Project Type: house, living space
Location: Shanghai, China
Completion Date: June, 2024
GFA: 50 sqm
Design Team: Haojia Song, Leah lin
Materials: wood, tile，FRP grating laminate, Sprayed metal，
wood wool cement board, white paint
FF&E: IKEA
Photographer: Nature Image

How to balance work and life is a question we have been thinking about for a long time over the years. In 2022, we have re-planned our careers and lives, hoping to step into a cycle of working and living at our own pace while we are young.
After careful consideration, we moved away from the familiar urban area. The future site that will host our ideas is located in a typical southern water town in Shanghai,China. The building was built along the river, surrounded by pavilions, ancient stone bridges, and metasequoia forests. However, the original building was relatively closed, with only small windows connecting the inside and outside. The walls and ceilings of the first and second floors were roughly sealed by plastic panels. It was dark, low, and smelled of mold.
This old building is complex and full of uncertainty. Peeling away the plastic panels layer by layer and mapping the building, the state of renovation is like a "design relay that spans a hundred years." After taking over the baton, we hope to make the old buildings adapt to modern people's lifestyles while retaining the original architectural status of the old buildings, which are simple in form but complex in semantics.
According to the requirements of the scenic spot, the facade along the river in the ancient town cannot have any changes in style. We just integrated a Chinese lattice window, a small logo, an old wooden door and a rain eaves on the entrance façade.
For the rear of the house, we opened the entire southeast facade, and the full-height glass door can be opened and closed freely to create a transparent state connected to the patio.
The staircase that controls the height of the bathroom was moved to the back area near the full-height glass door. A large triangular cutout was opened for the staircase on the ceiling of the first floor. The light from the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor can also shine on the first floor, changing the dark and oppressive atmosphere of the room. For the cut ceiling and suspended wooden beams, we added a sky-blue steel beam as a support and also to wake up the sleeping old building.
Like philosophy of Chuang Tzu in China, seeking knowledge and living are a process of mutual growth. We're trying to take steps back to make progress. While taking care of yourself, you can also pursue your professional ideals more calmly. In the future, whether it is the gentle breeze, the greenery in the patio, or the golden color from the first ray of dawn peeking out from the distant metasequoia forest in winter, all of these will be warmly welcomed.