In China, these residential districts are closed-off with very similar layouts and almost zero communal space, making it difficult to foster communities within them. In a bid to rectify the silo scenario at one of its xiao qus in Chengdu, Vanke commissioned Wutopia Lab to outsource shared space. It’s a prototype of public living room, contains several functions, including library, open kitchen, party space, kids’s study room, room for package and delivery. with a 15-minute walkability.

Wutopia Lab regards it as a buffer between home and the public world’ , where residents can hang out, relax and build relationships. The site has an irregular planar space and in order to keep the reproductivity of Youkong Living Room, we chose to place three rectangular box space into the site that the first one is service box, the second is social box, and the third is box for female. Three boxes create an inner city within the site and the residual becomes free space.

The Service Box is for package delivery; The Social Box works as a living room and reading space; The Female Box is kitchen and kid’s area. Each box is relatively independent and still connected in some way. We think the Female Box is the core of Youkong Living room since the majority group of residents in community is female and children, the Female Box can not only provide kitchen space, but also work as a party space for residents, which make it the Social Box an extension of Female Box.