Wonder Architects designed this tile-clad addition to emulate the gabled form of traditional brick buildings in Hou Heilongmiao Village in rural Yanqing, Beijing, China. Thanks to this site-sensitive approach, the Intertwine House draws on local architecture without erasing it completely.

Speaking about the project’s intent, the firm says: “Tear down and rebuild? Or worship history and keep it as it was? We feel that the dual relationship between the old and the new should be merged into a ‘communisme formel’–giving a new meaning to an object that’s already produced.”

The new entryway is demarcated by a glass vestibule, and a series of stepped platforms descend from the front door to the kitchen and dining room. From here, a wide corridor leads to the more private areas in the brick shell. The stepped platforms and wood flooring create a unifying rhythm throughout the house, knitting old and new together across varying levels.

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The existing building at the back of the the site holds a living room, two bedrooms, and two baths. White walls and light-colored wood flooring offset the preserved brick walls and timber framework at the ceiling.

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Wonder Architects

Structural Engineer: GAO Xuemei

Appears In

A Mint-Green Addition Freshens Up a Brick House in China