KINCANG Egrets Waves Residence is located in Keqiao, Shaoxing, adjacent to the World Cultural Heritage site of the Grand Canal. It stands opposite the historically significant Taiping Bridge, listed in the < A History of Chinese Science and Technology >, and the ancient Daiyue Pavilion. This location offers a perfect blend of seclusion and urban convenience. The project's planning and architecture design were all executed by LYCS Architecture. The project aims to provide a high-end modern residential product for Shaoxing, leveraging the scenic views of the Grand Canal to the fullest extent.
Natural Infiltration
The project is divided into low-density and high-density zones, with a total construction area of 257,000 square meters—the overall layout transitions from the low-density area to the high-density area in a tiered manner. The project offers 22 types of units ranging from 128 square meters to 670 square meters, including garden houses, duplex villas, townhouses, and villa-like residences. These units are meticulously arranged according to various scenic positions, such as lakefront and lakeview, maximizing the utilization of the Grand Canal's landscape.
The project employs a transparent design, utilizing floor-to-ceiling glass panels more than twice the size of conventional ones. Each unit features an open or enclosed terrace, allowing residents to enjoy the exceptional views of nature up close.
The planning and design adopt a classic layout strategy with a main axis complemented by multiple secondary axes for the public spaces. The entrance lobby, central landscape, and nearly 4,800 square meters of the central swimming pool garden form the main axis, creating a ceremonial homecoming route. Surrounding this main axis are various health facilities, including a children's playground, circular running track, and elevated spaces.
流动柔美The Flowing Elegance
The architectural design inspiration was drawn from a stroll around the site. As the architect paused on the stone path at the site's southwest corner, they observed the serene Xiao-Shao Canal flowing gently and steadily. A white egret gracefully skimmed the water's surface and soared into the sky, its dynamic curves perfectly embodying the vitality of nature. The facade design extracts elements from these figurative forms to create expansive lines, capturing the distinctive features of an egret spreading its wings. This approach culminated in a systematic design language.
The design establishes a horizontal order to depict the soothing flow of a gentle stream. Continuous aluminum eaves provide shelter for the floor-to-ceiling glass, protecting it from wind, rain, and intense sunlight. This creates spaces reminiscent of traditional Chinese architecture, blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces.
The eaves have a thickness of only 45 cm and a maximum depth of approximately 2000 cm. By controlling the shape and size of the cantilevered panels, natural light can be utilized more effectively, avoiding direct sunlight. Additionally, the upper surface is designed with a slope of about 5% to aid in drainage and enhance the aluminum panels' self-cleaning properties.
The organic integration of the floor plan and the facade forms a building shape with a rich sense of depth, reflecting the distinctive features of an egret spreading its wings. At the curved transitions, unconventional double-curved aluminum panels allow lines to flow freely in multiple dimensions. This creates a facade with clear layers, evoking a beautiful and dynamic architectural aesthetic.
The design employs extensive curved surfaces to enhance the overall sense of flowing elegance. At the building corners, oversized curved aluminum eaves are paired with custom curved floor-to-ceiling glass. This not only ensures a more cohesive and smooth facade but also provides exceptional views from the interior. Due to the high technical requirements, each curved glass panel has a production cycle of at least 20 days, with costs approximately 1.5 times that of standard glass of the same size.
Architectural Expression
The diverse product configuration resulted in 9 different building units, each undergoing dozens of design iterations to refine their architectural expression.
The high-rise residences use a champagne color as the main tone. Through the light and transparent floor-to-ceiling glass, the extensive continuous balconies provide an open view, broadening the natural landscape perspective and allowing residents to enjoy the surrounding natural scenery fully. The design team has meticulously refined the curvature of the eaves, resulting in a smooth and highly dynamic sequence of curves.
The stacked townhouses' design features a minimalist silver white as the main color, continuing the "curve" design language. The overall form is more simple and pure, emphasizing the quality that remains after eliminating excess complexity and discarding superficial luxury. Transparent floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious terraces for each unit seamlessly integrate indoor and outdoor spaces, bringing residents infinitely closer to nature.
The villa-like residences use nature as a boundary, with wrap-around courtyards enveloping the buildings, creating a private haven within the city. The design outlines the buildings with silver curves, and the layered eaves, when viewed from above, resemble a silver ripple on the land. The design pushes the overall concept to the extreme by incorporating modernity and ecological considerations.
Implementation Challenges
In China, the large-scale application of oversized components, double-curved aluminum panels, and other non-standard materials in residential design is relatively rare. The project presented significant challenges for the team regarding implementing quality control and cost management.
The design team streamlined the components through modular control: glass railings, handrails, aluminum panels, and other materials were designed to align seamlessly. The glass balustrades were spaced at intervals of 1.5 meters, with one glass balustrades corresponding to one aluminum panel, enabling a standardized design. The curved panels' dimensions and the curved glass chamfering were unified, and the curved eaves were further broken down into edge profiles, upper slopes, lower slopes, and curved corners for modular decomposition.
Conclusion
KINCANG Egrets Waves Residence blends the culture and nature of the ancient city of Shaoxing with modern style, showcasing an ecological, light, and comfortable lifestyle. This project represents a new exploration of residential design in China.
Team:
Client: Zhejiang KINCANG Real Estate Group Co. LTD
Planning and Architectural Design: LYCS Architecture
Design team: RUAN Hao, Chen Wenbin; Lin Dong, Gong Zijun, Zhang Lei, Zhang Jingjing, Zhuang Longwei, Wang Chenchen, Yan Yuechen, Lv Jun, Nie Yueyue, Tang Huiping, Huang Hao, Guo Rong, Ma Guangyu, Zhao Lin, Lao Zhedong, Liu Dongyuan, Zhang Peng, Fang Chen
Landscape Design: NCD Studio
Curtain Wall Design: KONSTRUCT WEST PARTNERS、CIMA
Local Design Institute: Hanjia Design Group Co., LTD. (Construction drawing Design)
Photography: shiromio studio, Shan-Jian images, DONG Image, Kangren Liu
