Project
House of Borrowed Scenery

Category 
Best Implemented Apartment / Private House Interior Design Project

About the project (provided by the applicant)
"House of Borrowed Scenery"‌ revitalizes a 97 sq.m hutong dwelling in Beijing’s old city through ‌"spatial acupuncture"‌. Facing light deprivation and echo issues, the design reimagines the cramped courtyard by ‌capturing a 120-year-old pagoda tree 32 m south‌ as a living centerpiece.
‌Key Interventions‌:

• Borrowed landscape‌: lowered southern roof by 1.2 m to frame the ancient tree; circular skylights refract its shadows onto interior walls.


• Hybrid structures‌: preserved Ming-era northern building while replacing the southern imitation-wood framework with modular spaces.


• Material dialogue‌: recycled gray bricks form star-lit pathways; bamboo-carbon fiber partitions filter light.

Outcome‌: a 37% perceived space expansion and 62% reduced artificial lighting, proving ‌micro-renovations can awaken historical contexts‌.

Location
No. 55 Zhuzhong Hutong, Gulou West Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China

Project implementation year
2024

Extra visual materials
https://www.archdaily.com/1027610/house-of-borrowed-scenery-atelier-jingjing


Applicant
Jingzhe Cui

Authors of the project
Atelier JingJing / Jingzhe Cui

Photo
Weiqi Jin

Other participants
Mr Rongsheng Chen Construction Team

Status of the project
Implemented