The Ridge is a timber prototype that explores how the natural environment and its physical forces can invigorate the interior living via the articulation of its transforming roofscape.
Sited in the high mountains of rural Yunnan in China, the project makes full use of its sloped terrain and expansive vistas to delineate a varied timber structure mainly comprising of 11 evolving trusses. The house spans one to three levels, with the roof’s gradual transformation most dramatically expressed through the pronounced ceiling plane experienced from within.
The design is carefully tuned to its cardinal orientations. Each façade differs in shape and size to capture the unique natural sunlight specific to its direction, seamlessly energizing the interior spaces—living areas below and sleeping quarters above—throughout the day’s progression.
Beyond its residential function, the farmer house also serves as a community centre where local villagers gather socially and as seasons go by, deliberate on crops selections, farming distribution to enhance their collective agricultural production and local economy.
The Ridge project originated as an educational program in design and construction. The taught hands-on course exposes students to the physical act of making architecture through on-site construction experience at a scale impossible in the classroom - one they can inhabit while building. Working alongside local carpenters and construction workers, students embark on a building journey that addresses a real site, a critical program, and a unique local culture through knowledge exchange and experiential learning.
