Firewood as a reference. Shanshui Firewood Garden complex by Mix Architecture

Project description by Mix Architecture

Anshi Village, Yibin, Sichuan, is an ordinary village behind Nianpan Mountain. The villages are connected by lots of lanes, scattered fields and ponds, and different houses and trees. It is a typical forest area in western Sichuan. The Firewood Garden is located between the bamboo forest and pond in the village. The site is hidden by the landscape. The building starts with a Sichuan dwelling and reflects the overall thinking on space, material, size, and experience.

Sichuan dwellings often use the structure of pierced wood, which is light and dexterous, simple in structure, and full of wisdom. The eaves of the roof are low and far-reaching, and there is sufficient space under the eaves to ensure ventilation and shelter from wind and rain. The natural growth pattern adapted to local conditions also makes it form a unique architectural settlement form.

The exterior walls of the building are made of local materials, mostly white with bamboo weaving and mud walls, and the lower part is often built with red sandstone blocks on the masonry foundation. Far-reaching eaves protect the walls for durability. Another feature of Sichuan dwellings is the courtyard space - the front courtyard of the house, as the core of the outdoor space, carries the residents' yearning for life and the spiritual pursuit of sunshine, air, and rain.


Shanshui Firewood Garden complex by Mix Architecture. Photograph by Arch-Exist.

Based on the translation and reorganization of the structure and space of Sichuan dwellings, the building adopts a cross-style layout. The cross space slowly expands and is embedded in the natural landscape. Large eaves are spread along the surrounding ponds, introducing the largest viewing surface. The arc-shaped inner courtyard is like a cross windmill rotating. The continuous curved wall of the cross space is like a curved stream, echoing the flowing arc of the inner courtyard. At the same time, the service space and the serviced space are divided, with functions such as private rooms, tea rooms, book bars, and logistics services, corresponding to the natural landscapes in different directions.

Firewood, an important carrier of agricultural civilization, can be seen everywhere in Anshi Village and closely relates to rural life. The mottled wooden bones and mud walls in the village, the soil has fallen off, and the light and shadow are whirling. The building is made of firewood of different sizes and hangs on the wall. Red sandstone, originating from the mountains of Sichuan, is a commonly used material for architecture, sculpture, and household appliances. The building is built with machine-cut red sandstone blocks in the shape of fish scales, and the rich surface texture echoes the firewood. The small blue tile roof also echoes the firewood and stone on the same scale. The three materials are different, like fish scales and flying feathers, familiar and unfamiliar. They come from the countryside, they are used in the countryside, and they are integrated into the countryside.

The building combines traditional architecture with current construction conditions, and balances simplicity and refinement with ingenuity, creating a quiet and agile space atmosphere. People walk along the firewood wall under the wide eaves, and the arcs gather in the inner courtyard. The circular water surface is calm, with firewood, Redstone, and black tiles, integrated with an azure sky. The overlapping and staggering of materials bring a trace of time like a sundial to the architectural space. With the flow of light, the light and shadow are unpredictable, and the atmosphere is unique. Locality, spatiality, and temporality are bridged through the unique use of materials and spread out in the architectural space.