A striking residential project in China's Yunnan Province demonstrates how contemporary architecture can honor historic traditions while meeting modern living needs. No. 8 House, designed by Xian Architects, stands in Dongnan Village near the historic Shaxi Old Town in Dali, where traditional Bai settlements and community rituals continue to influence daily life.
The design draws direct inspiration from the region's architectural heritage, particularly the Kuige Stage located on nearby Sideng Street. This historic wooden structure features expansive eaves that define its spatial character and served as the primary reference for the residential project. The architects incorporated curving eaves throughout the residence's terraces, corridors, and rooftop parapets, creating both functional and aesthetic connections to local building traditions.
These curved elements serve a practical purpose in Dali's bright, highland basin climate by providing essential shade while establishing a visual dialogue with the area's architectural heritage. The spatial organization centers around a series of courtyards and sky-well volumes that form the heart of the home's design philosophy. Two vertical towers – the Sundial Tower and Book Tower – anchor the overall composition, functioning as contemporary interpretations of traditional sky-wells.
These tower structures bring natural light, wind, and rain into the interior spaces, creating a dynamic interplay of shadow, air, and weather that integrates environmental rhythms into daily living. Combined with the house's distinctive upturned eaves and open courtyards, these elements invite natural forces to become part of the residents' everyday routine. All photography for the project was captured by Liu Guowei and Xia Zhi.
The ground-level courtyard serves as the central connecting space for the main living areas, which include a living room, dining area, yoga and meditation room, master suite, and six guest rooms. The rear garden accommodates both functional and recreational spaces, housing storage areas, a wine cellar, a drying area, a woodworking workshop, and an outdoor campsite that expands the home's living possibilities.
Xian Architects employed material and formal strategies that emphasize continuity between interior and exterior spaces throughout the design. The layout carefully frames transitional conditions between open and enclosed zones, supporting both collective family activities and individual pursuits. This approach reflects a design philosophy focused on orchestrating relationships between time, space, and atmosphere.
The project positions architecture as a medium to engage with the surrounding landscape and climate rather than simply shelter from it. Through its combination of sky-wells, courtyards, and strategic shading elements, No. 8 House explores how contemporary architecture can successfully mediate between traditional building typologies and modern living requirements. The residence reflects a design approach deeply rooted in everyday life while situating the home within a broader cultural and environmental continuum that honors the region's rich architectural heritage.
