Mother's House

The Mother's House is located in Jinjiang Dongshi Town, a place where the rich Minnan culture surrounds the entire community. The owner of the house, Mr. Chongda Cai, is a well-known Chinese writer. His book, Pinang, conveys sincere emotions toward his parents and hometown, with the most important chapter—Mother's House—telling a story directly related to this project.



We hope that the renovated house can restore the original relationship between nature and the region, reconstruct the spatial functions, and positively influence relationships both among people and between houses. Based on this, our goal is to provide new ideas and possibilities for modern living.



Due to the rapid economic development and urbanization in this city, the houses here are known as “handshake buildings,” closely packed together and connected, which leads to issues with lighting, ventilation, and privacy. A key strategy in our design is to set the house back by one meter. This adjustment allows more light into the space, provides room for air circulation, and conveys a sense of goodwill, fostering a more harmonious, tolerant, and respectful neighborhood.



As the owner desires to contribute to his hometown after achieving success, this house takes on a social role and serves a public function. The first and second floors are designated as public library spaces, open to the community, while the upper floors are private living areas, each with separate entrances. A three-dimensional courtyard is incorporated into the design, enabling people to experience both horizontal and vertical relationships between courtyards from any point within the space. Light and air flow through the courtyard as people live, read, and interact.



The core of the design is humanistic, fulfilling functional needs and carrying social significance, with the right value orientation. Creativity, in terms of design, should exist as Pinang does—an outer layer, subtle yet essential. In the future, numerous public cultural activities will take place in the public spaces on the first and second floors, planting the seeds of thought.