The restored complex is located in the old district of Beijing. It is a small shiheyuan (a type of traditional Chinese building) with three courtyards. It was named Qishe (Qi means “seven” in Chinese and she means “house”) because its number is 7. In addition, the complex originally consisted of seven buildings with an authentic tile roof.
Before the restoration, the Xiheyuan was dilapidated and in a state of disrepair. The supporting wooden beams and some of the arches of the doorways were relatively well preserved, but most of the roofs, walls, doors and windows were badly damaged or missing. In addition, additional structures had been built in each of the three courtyards many years ago. And after they were demolished, the courtyards were left in a sad state: there was a huge amount of construction debris overgrown with weeds.
In working on the project, the architects set themselves two tasks: to restore the old and neatly integrate the new. On the one hand, the designers cleaned up the houses, repaired important structures, and reinforced the main elements, preserving the style of the traditional Xiehyuan. On the other hand, new rooms were added, such as a bathroom, kitchen and garage, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and a veranda was added to the complex. The old and new were merged to make the house comfortable to live in, even with increasing demands for comfort.
The architects have added a veranda, a basic element of the old Chinese school of architecture, to the complex, thus connecting all seven individual houses. The veranda serves as a circular route, gives a new form to the traditional spiral patterns, and allows for a relaxed stroll within the house and enjoy the views.
The philosophy of combining old and new was also reflected in the materials used in the construction. The creators kept the textures of traditional materials, adding new ones where appropriate, to preserve traces of time and show the contrast between old and new. For example, they left the original sections of pine wood, traditional to Xiehyuan, and simply replaced the damaged parts.