Articles by Xiaohang Hou

Democracy’s essence is the people’s self-government and autonomy based on their own rights, and its characteristics are demonstrated in equality and participation. If democracy means a more equitable way of public life in architecture, then, this way of life is dependent on the homogenization of the building’s spatial structure, with open, transparent, and functionally diverse public spaces. It is also possible to argue that the birth, maintenance, and demise of democracy all occurred in public space.

Western aesthetics is based on the mathematical analysis of an object’s formal structure, using classical beauty laws such as balance, symmetry, and the golden mean. Eastern aesthetics differ in that, as it emphasizes intuitive experience, such as “white space” in traditional Chinese painting, through emotional communication with the “imagery” to produce a certain “Conception.” The contrast between reality and emptiness allows the viewer’s imagination and feelings to flourish, allowing them to realize “showing the breadth of heaven and earth even in a square inch place.” 

The project is one of the symmetrical commercial buildings around the central axis of Foshan City. The original state is a 300-square-meter glass building, and its dullness can be imagined. The owners are a French dessert shop and wool felt art shop. How to combine two different types of spaces so that they can coexist harmoniously will be an interesting exploration. After communication, it was found that the glass curtain wall could not be changed, so we arranged a new facade image with stainless steel ribs, and at the same time gave the interior a looming feeling. The integrated design of the platform and outdoor seating replaces the temporary feeling of the slope, and at the same time forms a spacious outside swing area to make up for the lack of indoor dining space.

The immensity of China leads to the diversity of customs and climatic conditions. Each area has its own unique materials, construction methods, and climate adaptation measures. The regional characteristics of Chinese architecture are generally preserved in rural buildings. But we cannot overlook how contemporary technology may considerably improve the living and use conditions of rural buildings. What is the best way to create a balance between classic or inherent technology and new ones? How would the construction of rural architecture provide inspiration for the development of Chinese architectural cultural symbols?

Climate change mitigation has become a priority issue, with the architectural industry accounting for 38% of global energy-related CO2 emissions. In December 2015, the Paris Agreement proposed to limit global warming to less than 2 ℃ above pre-industrial levels and strive for no more than 1.5 ℃. The architectural industry must achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 in order to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal.

A new interpretation of a 10 decades-old building. Established in 2012, ENSHADOER® is a functional clothing brand that acquired inspiration from fixed-gear bicycle sport at the earliest time in the domestic, say architects were commissioned to design the first offline store located in Nanyu street of Hangzhou. Review the past decade, a developing golden era for both the brand and Hangzhou City. say introduced the industrial materials used in the city’s construction and start a conversation across time between the brand and the site.

National Biathlon Center (hereinafter referred to as the “Biathlon Center”) is one of the main competition venues in Zhangjiakou Zone of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. During the games, it will undertake all competitions of the biathlon of the Winter Olympic Games and the biathlon and cross-country ski of the Winter Paralympic Games, setting a total of 11 gold medals of the Winter Olympic Games and 38 gold medals of the Winter Paralympic Games, and is the venue with the largest number of gold medals in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The venue covers an area of 132hm2, the construction area of the technical building of the track venue is 7,644m2, the total area of the track is 113,000 m2, the total length is 13km, the highest altitude is 1,766m and the lowest altitude is 1,657m.

Sun Concepts Office did image design for QYF, a multi-brand boutique with a 20-year history. The store brings about new consumption patterns and lifestyle trends for local consumers. With the modernist aesthetics as the standard design approach, Sun Concepts Office turned the boutique into a high-end brand. By making ingenious use of geometry and colors, the hard metal, stone, and glass materials convey the key information that this store collects female brands, and reflects the brand tone that advocates independence and freedom of modern women.