Our first exploration into China began in the historic city of Nanjing, working within the boundaries of its ancient City Wall. This is a site rich in history, culture and meaning. The brief was to redesign the elevations and landscape for a new residential development of 50 townhouses. The task was to introduce something new while also respecting a place that has been central to Chinese life for centuries.
The story of how this project started still feels remarkable to us. A random online meeting request quickly led to conversations, and before long we were boarding a flight to China. Arriving in Nanjing, we walked the city walls, explored neighbourhoods filled with layered history and natural beauty, and spent long sessions exchanging ideas with our Chinese partners. From the very beginning, it was clear that this would not just be about design drawings. It was about learning and listening as much as creating.
The architecture we developed looks both ways. On one hand, it is inspired by classical Chinese traditions such as the spirit wall, an element rooted in feng shui that is believed to shield households from negative forces. On the other hand, it draws from very British precedents such as the grand crescent terraces of Bath. Bringing these ideas together allowed us to create façades that are at once ordered and symbolic, restrained but also sculptural.
The wider vision also introduced new layers of living. We imagined sunken rock gardens that provide quiet moments of retreat, communal tea houses where neighbours can gather, shaded art walks that thread through the site, and subtle screens that soften privacy without cutting people off. These spaces are intended to foster a sense of community while giving everyone their own sanctuary.
Internally, the arrangement is just as carefully thought through. The apartments are stacked in pairs, and we developed a compact helical staircase that allows both homes to remain private while sharing a single vertical core. This makes the buildings more efficient while still offering generous layouts. It was important to us that these technical moves were not just about efficiency, but about giving residents a better quality of space and a stronger sense of home.
As the design developed, two themes began to guide us. The first was life within the wall, an idea that acknowledges the extraordinary historic boundary that defines this site. The second was urban forest living, a way of describing how natural elements can soften and enrich dense urban housing. Both themes found their way into the proposals and helped anchor the project in its context.
At the time of writing, the design is still under review by our partners in China. Whatever the outcome, this project has already been a milestone for us. It has expanded our practice into a new geography and pushed us to engage deeply with another culture’s traditions. Most of all, it has reminded us that architecture is not just about form and material, but about exchange, dialogue and shared ambition.
