a Showroom in China has been Designed with a Wooden Structure that can be Re-Used in Various Ways

Given the short lifespan of real-estate showrooms, a showroom in China has been designed with a wooden structure that can be re-used in various ways after it has outlived its initial purpose.

Real Estate Sales Centres are a kind of temporary architecture that can only last several months or few years at most and is usually dismantled after the sales period is over. Even in the rare chance they can be preserved, their function would need to be completely transformed. Also, the interiors of real estate sales centres are generally complicated, which further adds to the difficulty of repurposement.

Resting area

This building not only meets the needs of a sales gallery, but also has the potential for a wide range of other possible uses. It is more appropriate to say that the architects designed a space without functional constraints rather than to just be a sales centre. The architects turned all necessary service spaces that typically have spatial restrictions such as the staircase and bathroom into basic modules, in accordance with ergonomics, while trying their best to weaken the functional attributes of the other remaining spaces. In this way, they separated function and space.

Atrium area

The reflected image of the building on the water surface at daytime

Utilisation of general timbers to maximise the space and make it extensibleThe client pursues high quality real estate development instead of instant commercial profits. Based on the concept of attracting house buyers through creating presenting better lifestyles, they have been devoted to operating eco-farms as well as engaging in property development. A green lifestyle was exactly what they wanted to convey to target consumers through this sales centre.

Timber, the green and natural materials that suit the client’s corporate identity, were the perfect materials for constructing the building. The type of general timber materials that the architects could purchase cost-effectively were square logs in the lengths of 3m, 4m or 6m, with a 200mm side length of the cross-section. To build a large solid space and to maximise its possible functions, several square timber pillars were combined together to form a clustered column, instead of using a single wooden pillar as the supporting unit. As the forces acting on a circle plane are even in different directions, horizontal units of the clustered column were designed in the shape of a regular dodecagon – which is nearly round – with a diameter of 1m. The section size of the timber pillars of the clustered column are 120mm x 180mm.

Southeastern side

Vertically, the clustered columns form the shape of trees., and are divided into five segments, each with a length of about 2 metres. These segments extend outward and upward to the ceiling, forming a cubic edge space with a height of 4.5 metres and a side length of 8 metres. With such clustering, the architects not only maximised the lower space, but also the structural strength. Each unit along the edge was horizontally and longitudinally interlined. Just like Lego bricks, each unit is independent or combined with others to create the desired space, which is extensible. With a continuous arch between each unit, the overall structure is very stable. And the more it stretches, the more stable the structure is.

Rapid assembling via basic construction methods & reversibility the architects had to complete the design, construction, finishing and decoration of the architecture in less than two months, whilst controlling the cost. The architecture was also intended to be reusable and hence a key challenging requirement was that it should be easily constructed as well as disassembled.

The architects offered the following solutions. The first was, to control labour cost and improve efficiency, they adopted simple and basic construction methods as well as common material processing techniques, through which ordinary technical workers were capable of carrying out the construction work. Materials could be - also be manufactured in common factories. Secondly, the architects created a standardisation and modularisation of units.

The whole building is divided into several primary units. And these primary units are further split into various standard components, which are then assembled based on a unified approach. A basic unit can be formed by only three basic components, which is conducive to controlling the size and number of modular units. Additionally, the architects established a set of standard and simple approaches for assembly, so as to accelerate the construction and installation process.

The third solution was to,subdivide all types of work involved in the project as much as possible, fabricating materials in different factories and arranging fabrication workshops. In this way, all materials and components could be fabricated before or while the pre-order work on site was carried out. For example, while measuring and grooving work was carried out at the site, components of the steel structure, wooden columns and steel connection components were fabricated in different factories separately at the same time. After the back filling was finished, the wooden column units were assembled on the basis of the steel structure.

All wooden column units were interlinked through bolting steel connection components. And all relevant work such as the installation of indoor furniture, air conditioning and wiring systems were carried out in a coordinated way. Eventually, the construction and interior fit-out of the building were completed ahead of schedule. Considering various practical factors, tiles were laid on the ground floor by using cement mortar. However, all other parts in the space were connected by bolts. Every component can be completely disassembled, installed, moved and reused, making the building thoroughly reversible.

Construction of a “smart” cavity If the building is a person, all the equipment, electrical systems and pipelines are the respiratory system. All these parts of the body are by no means isolated but are highly integrated with the skeletons and muscles in a symbiotic state, resulting in a more effective and intensive space. Other parts of the building were also designed in a way similar to the structure of a body. Taking furniture as an example, all the furniture ‘grows’ on the structural column, with each table surrounding a single clustered column.

All the furniture and guardrails stretch out of the core structure, and even weave a surface by extending outward. These necessary parts are concomitants of the main structure, providing support against it and making it more stable. Equipment, electrical systems, pipelines, furniture and even the exterior were integrated into units of the structure to achieve the smallest occupancy, which facilitated separation of function and space and created a ‘smart’ space resembling cavity of the human body.

Mies van der Rohe called the Crown Hall at the Illinois Insti-tute of Technology in Chicago a ‘universal space’. The design permits the building to change its functions, so Mies declared it “the clearest structure we have done, the best to express our philosophy.” As designing and constructing the Longfu Life Experience Center, the architects chose to use standard timbers in China and utilised common manufacturing and construction techniques, with a view to create a ‘universal space’ that boasts infinite possible uses rather than to be limited to certain specific functions.

The whole building or any part of it can be enlarged, cut, replaced or moved based on different needs. What’s more, it can also be completely dismounted and repurposed, and its materials can be reused for other construction, hence achieving the objective that both the space and materials can be universally used.

Project Information

Project Name: Longfu Life Experience Center

Location: Southwest Of the Intersection of Changqing Road and Fumin Road, Puyang County, Henan Province, China

Client: Lai Lijun

Architect Firm: Luo Studio

Project Principal: Luo Yujie

Project Team: Wang Xiaotao, Wei Wenjing

Date Of Completion: April 10, 2018

Site Area: 1,588 Sqm

Construction Company: Puyang Jingyi Architectural Decoration, Design and Engineering Co., Ltd.

Photography: Jin Weiqi