Award-winning Rural Residence Conversion in China Becomes Self-Sufficient

This courtyard residence in rural China has been renovated by architect John Lin and transformed into a series of brilliant self-sufficient houses. Located in the north-eastern region of the country in Shijia Village, the 'House For All Seasons' residence has become a model to encourage village residents to be less dependent on the outside world. The Hong Kong-based architect even incorporated a pigpen and a biogas boiler into the design, creating an innovative series of spaces that generates their own energy.

Lin’s design follows a number of sustainable principles so that during the rainy season water is harvested on the roof and filters down to be stored in a large container for the rest of the year. Space is allocated on wide staircases for crops to be planted, and like other traditional residences the structure is insulated with mud walls around a concrete frame.

This helps to reduce energy, which is partially provided by an underground biogas boiler that runs on pig waste, and also ensures the building is as earthquake-resistant as possible. The building’s exterior is a lattice of bricks which provides shade and natural ventilation to the interior area. With so much green goodness in one space, it is easy to understand why Lin’s renovation is the winning design for this year’s AR House awards.