refurbishment

Dongmaoku, a former warehouse campus in Shenyang, is the PRC’s first generation of logistic facilities constructed since the Korea War period. With over 30 individual warehouses, Dongmaoku has significant value for the study of the logistics building typology in modern China. Although Dongmaoku was listed as ‘valuable historical buildings in Shenyang’ in 2019, it became a real estate development project in 2020. After the Spring Festival of 2020, the government decided to preserve 7 warehouses in Dongmaoku. URBANUS was invited to give a master plan for the non-housing part of this project. With the completion of the first phase of the Dongmaoku renovation, a new energetic scenario has shown in the community. This achievement confirms the importance of five critical paths during the design process within a very short decision-making period.

The thoughtful introduction of covered outdoor space in this design created an openness to the garden and added value for all volumes on the plot. The triangular terrace forms the core of a new living and outdoor experience, of which even the bicycle shed/cider workshop is now an integral part.

This dramatic remodel of a non-descript 1950s hillside residence converts a two-story structure into a three-story home for a growing family. The home boasts contrasting but remarkable views of the city of San Francisco to the east and Sutro Tower to the west. The front and rear facades employ 20-foot-tall, 30-inch-deep steel brise soleils to deflect light and simultaneously frame cherished views while editing out less desirable ones. The southern and northern anchor walls are skinned with hand-troweled plaster and create visual and mental privacy from the adjoining neighboring homes. In between these walls reside crystalline glass-and-steel exterior structures that provide the family with remarkable eastern views of downtown San Francisco and beautiful sunset views through a canopy of backyard trees. A living roof provides ample insulation and rainwater purification as well as an inviting natural respite within the confines of an urban setting.