yinjispace

INTERIOR
I&C SPACE
PHOTOGRAPHY
BIJISPACE边界人
EDITOR
Gina
Collection

Hugo’s private residence was originally a twenty-year-old house. Guided by the core concept of “nature and authenticity,” Hugo has extensively used materials with raw textures and sustainable qualities, integrating light, wind, and landscape in an organic way to comprehensively renew the existing structure. After renovation, the total building area is about 600m², with a 200m² courtyard. The exterior façade is enveloped by an integrated clay tile system, creating a restrained and unified architectural expression. By using materials such as plaster, natural matte stone, wood, limestone, terracotta brick, and clay tiles, the design evokes a warm, approachable, and sustainable living atmosphere—achieving deep integration between space, material, and environment.

The courtyard is landscape-oriented, with a sunken garden enriching the vertical hierarchy and spatial experience. It not only brings natural light into the basement but also serves as a framed view for the underground space, effectively reducing the sense of enclosure and creating a continuous visual corridor between indoors and outdoors. The residence unfolds along a vertical circulation axis and is divided into four levels: the first floor serves as an open and fluid communal area for daily gatherings and interaction; the second floor is a tranquil private zone for rest; the attic functions as an independent space for the child, allowing flexible transitions between study and play; the basement connects to the sunken garden and brings in natural light through a lightwell, extending the same sense of openness and livability as the upper levels.

The exposed concrete wall at the entrance emphasizes a raw, unadorned texture and structural expressiveness. The embedded “HUGO HOME” signage becomes a minimalist visual focal point—marking the identity of the home and symbolizing the threshold between public and private realms. Through the contrast of materials and precise construction, the moment of “returning home” gains a heightened sense of ceremony.

The courtyard landscape has been shaped through subtle topographical manipulation, creating naturally undulating lawns and a richly layered visual relationship. Scattered viewing trees and landscape stones form rhythm and focal points from different perspectives, allowing the space to unfold gradually as one moves through it. Serving as a transitional zone between the interior and the external park, the courtyard uses terrain and planting to define boundaries—maintaining a sense of privacy while achieving a spatial concept of “separation without disconnection, integration with distinction.”

The family hall is designed around the theme of “natural narrative and tranquil light and shadow.” It uses a minimalist material language and delicate light organization to create a warm, serene core living space filled with emotional resonance. The space is based on plaster finishes, combined with gray and black tones, establishing a calm and inclusive atmosphere. The ultra-slim steel window system maximizes the introduction of natural light and outdoor scenery, while stained glass symbolizing the changing seasons adds a temporal dimension, allowing residents to sense the passage of time.

Hugo adopted a “structural narrative” design strategy, deliberately preserving the beam and column structure of the original building, turning it into a visual medium for spatial division and transition. Indirect lighting outlines the contours of the beams, reinforcing the constructive logic and spatial rhythm of the structure. The western kitchen is positioned as the core hub of the first floor, centered around its island or breakfast bar, forming a circular flow that weakens the dominance of the traditional living room and achieves a “de-living-roomed” reorganization of space, creating a more open and interactive living environment.

The western kitchen area is a multifunctional living space that integrates breakfast and beverages, reading and relaxation, coffee tasting, afternoon tea gatherings, flower arranging, and family baking. On the right side, a multifunctional integrated cabinet system stores appliances and utensils along the same wall, keeping the space tidy and efficient. The retractable pendant light provides both task lighting and ambient illumination. The swivel chairs cater to children’s playful nature, forming, together with the multifunctional countertop, the core of interaction. This design injects interactivity and playfulness into the space, allowing cooking and companionship to blend naturally into a warm hub of family connection. At the center, a sleeper-wood tabletop introduces the traces of time and the warmth of nature through its rugged, organic texture, becoming a platform for family interaction. The fireplace adjoining the family hall brings genuine warmth into the space, enhancing the sense of enclosure and together shaping a setting that is emotionally cohesive and comfortably relaxed.

The hidden door in the stairwell physically separates the activity area from the upstairs living space, establishing a clear division between active and quiet zones. The negative space beneath the stairs is designed as a delicate miniature desert landscape, using sand, deadwood, and lighting effects to create a ritualistic transitional area, adding an artistic visual extension to the vertical circulation node. With a handcrafted copper table and a tufa stone base at its core, the space develops a distinctive character through the interplay of materials. The table’s hand-colored and hammered finish imparts a warm metallic texture, becoming the focal point for family gatherings and interaction. The tall cabinet system integrates storage and wine cabinets, maintaining spatial order and allowing social and daily activities to blend naturally.

Seasonal changes and shifting light in the courtyard naturally extend the interior’s emotional atmosphere. Operable skylights introduce natural light to the plants, while slant-growing Hainan huanghuali trees and hand-chiseled landscape stones create a miniature natural scene. The stone surfaces retain a rugged texture, reminiscent of trees growing tenaciously among cliff faces, abstracting natural imagery and artistically reproducing it within the interior space. The L-shaped floor-to-ceiling windows bring the park landscape into the interior, while the hidden glass door allows the space to fully open, blurring the boundaries between architecture and nature. Plaster, natural wood, and linen sofas create a warm, natural ambiance, providing the master bedroom with an immersive experience of returning to nature, like living within a forest.

The entire residence, through the organic integration of materials, light, furniture, and landscape, presents a natural, authentic, and emotionally rich living experience. In the renovation, Hugo preserved the original character of the building while infusing the flexibility of modern lifestyles, making each space both functional and imbued with warmth and ritual. From the interactive atmosphere of the public areas to the immersive experience of the private spaces, every detail reflects the designer’s profound understanding of lifestyle and spatial artistry, creating an ideal home that accompanies daily family life while carrying memories and emotions.

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