Liuyun Community, Guangzhou
This is a residential area located in the central business district of Guangzhou. Since 2000, the ground floor of this community has become a completely open and noisy commercial street. The original communal outdoor space has also been occupied by tourists. View more about this case study

​

​

Since 2000, some apartments on the ground floor began to be changed into stores. In 2005. most of the stores closed because they cannot meet the Regulations on the administration of house leasing and new Fire regulations. In 2007, the plan to turn apartments into stores was approved. However, residents had to live with the fact that the community's facilities were in the same space as the commercial street. By 2020, the development of commerce brought disturbs to the community, such as the large number of tourists, motor vehicles that shuttling through the community, noise, insecurity, etc. Now, residents are still trying to find their own spaces in the commercial street. However, with the loss and aging of original residents, this balance may be gradually broken.

​

​

According to the analysis of the direct sunlight hour in midwinter, south-facing apartments on the ground floor can meet the local standards. These apartments are reserved, and expanded by expanding the balcony and adding an extra bedroom. 

Apartments facing the Tianhe South 1 Road do not have enough sunlight, so they are proposed to be converted into stores. This can continue the commercial urban interface, while preventing tourists from entering the community and reducing the occupancy of the communal space.
Other non-compliant apartments on the ground floor are adapted into open floor and neighborhood facilities, such as gym, laundry, smoking room, multi-function room, study room, etc, to solve the issue of imperfect supporting facilities in old residential areas.

​

The renewal of the ground floor adapts the ground area from a public commercial street back to the communal space of the community, and encourages the communication between neighbors. The opening of the partial ground floor and first floor visually increases the width of the spaces between the buildings which are narrower than the current standards.

​

​