Qingyi Lodge by Hsu & Du Architects

Qingyi Lodge by Hsu & Du Architects is a sensitive adaptive reuse project located in Xianjing Village, Baita Town, Xianju County, Zhejiang Province. Nestled within a mountainous landscape and overlooking the dramatic silhouette of Fanzeng Peak, the project transforms an abandoned village primary school into a youth artist dormitory and cultural catalyst for the community. Commissioned by the local town government, the renovation forms part of a broader ambition to reposition Xianjing Village as a sketching art village, attracting students, artists, and visitors while reinforcing the village’s identity.

The original school building—a modest two-story brick-concrete structure constructed between the 1970s and 1980s—carried strong collective memory but had fallen into disuse. Rather than replacing it, the architects chose to preserve its recognizable form and embed new life within its structure. The result is not a nostalgic reconstruction but a contemporary reinterpretation that respects the existing fabric while redefining how the building relates to landscape, light, and social life.

Framing the Landscape as Daily Experience

A central architectural question shaped the project: how can the building fully engage with its most powerful asset—the view toward Fanzeng Peak? The response unfolds across multiple layers of spatial transformation. The deteriorated wooden roof was removed and reimagined as a rooftop viewing terrace, transforming the uppermost level into a shared lookout that directly addresses the mountain. This simple yet powerful gesture reorients the entire building toward its natural context.

Former classrooms were converted into dormitory units, with a careful strategy applied to the façade. The original masonry walls between windows were retained to preserve the rhythm and memory of the school, while old doors and windows were replaced with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass panels. This subtle intervention allows the interior to open generously toward the landscape without erasing the building’s historic proportions.

On the north side, a new external steel corridor provides access to the dormitories, acting as the main circulation spine. Meanwhile, the original corridor on the south side has been transformed into a continuous sketching balcony, offering students and artists a sheltered outdoor workspace with uninterrupted views of the surrounding mountains.

Light, Work, and the Architecture of Making

The balconies are more than circulation or leisure spaces; they are conceived as architectural tools for artistic practice. Open toward the landscape, they allow residents to work directly within the environment that inspires them. Specific zones are designated for sketching, supported by carefully positioned skylights that provide consistent, soft light suitable for drawing throughout the day and across changing weather conditions.

At ground level, each dormitory unit extends into a small private courtyard. These courtyards offer intimate outdoor spaces for concentration and making, balancing the collective experience of the balconies with moments of solitude. Through this layered system of terraces, corridors, and courtyards, the building becomes not only a place to stay but a spatial framework for creative life.

Recognizing the limitations of the original school structure—particularly its constrained floor heights and spans—the architects introduced a new multifunctional hall on the southeast side. This addition provides a flexible space for informal exhibitions, critiques, discussions, and communal activities, reinforcing Qingyi Lodge as both a dormitory and a cultural platform.

Reconnecting Architecture to Village Life

Beyond the building itself, the project extends into the broader fabric of the village. To the south of the former school lay a small playground, once enclosed by a perimeter wall that visually and socially separated the site from village life. Hsu & Du Architects reimagined this threshold condition through a nuanced landscape and architectural intervention.

A series of lightweight, gently curved metal roofs are placed along the edge of the site. Their silhouettes subtly echo the forms of traditional village houses while introducing a contemporary layer. These structures perform multiple roles: they screen everyday domestic scenes such as laundry and storage, frame views toward key communal spaces, and create shaded corridors that support informal gathering.

The original perimeter wall—once constricting visibility at the village entrance—was partially removed and replaced by a composition of walls at varying heights. Under the curved roof, this creates a dual-layered corridor system: one layer functioning as part of Qingyi Lodge’s circulation, the other extending outward as public infrastructure for the village. An east-facing multifunctional hall anchors this new spatial sequence, acting as a visual and social hinge between the lodge and the village.

Architecture as Social Pocket

The spaces generated between new corridors and existing village houses have quickly become informal social pockets. These are not designed plazas but carefully cultivated everyday spaces where architecture quietly supports life. Elderly residents sit in the sun, villagers pause to talk, children play, and visiting students integrate into the rhythms of local life.

Material choices reinforce this grounded atmosphere. Thick timber planks are placed atop low rubble walls to form seating. Old stone slabs collected from across the village are reused as paving. Moss and ferns are allowed to grow naturally between stones, embracing time and weather as part of the architectural experience. Under the lightweight steel roofs, the environment feels neither purely old nor overtly new, but layered, lived-in, and open-ended.

The spatial sequence gently guides visitors upward along the corridor toward the village square and deeper into the historic settlement. In this way, Qingyi Lodge does not function as an isolated architectural object but as an urban and cultural connector, weaving together residents, newcomers, and the evolving identity of the village.

A Contemporary Model of Rural Renewal

Qingyi Lodge demonstrates how architectural renovation can operate simultaneously at multiple scales: building, landscape, community, and cultural narrative. Rather than imposing a singular architectural statement, the project works through incremental transformations—of roofs, corridors, courtyards, walls, and thresholds—to reshape how people inhabit and perceive the village.

The abandoned school is no longer a relic of the past but a platform for future creativity. Through careful attention to views, light, circulation, and social space, Hsu & Du Architects have created an environment where young artists and long-term residents coexist, where architecture supports both making and belonging. Qingyi Lodge stands as a compelling example of how rural revitalization can emerge not from spectacle, but from spatial generosity, contextual intelligence, and deep respect for everyday life.

Photography: Shan Liang