High Density Development: Reinventing the Concept of Courtyard Housing in Beijing

Abstract

As a microcosm of China’s urban housing issue, the high-rise residential towers in Beijing have multiple problems. The long and linear circulation and rare enclosed shared space have cause the lacking of communicational programs in the neighborhood. When looking at the traditional courtyard housing and Hutong alley layout in Beijing, the courtyard occupies about forty percent of the entire building area and provide multiple functions of circulation, relaxation, landscape and place for housework. This thesis provides a new residential experience in Beijing by reinventing and the concept of courtyard in mid-rise and high-rise residential buildings