Continuity
Main structures
and courtyard
The courtyard continues to organise movement between the surrounding rooms.
Selected projects
Building renewal · Dujiangyan, Sichuan
Nanxi Yao
A village school,
renewed for everyday life
Weibing Liu’s renewal retains the former school’s main structures and courtyard layout while adapting it for community use. Verandas and sheltered spaces connect the existing building with places to sit, talk and gather.
- Design
- 2019
- Completed
- 2020
- Area
- Approx. 2,000 m²
- Lead architect
- Weibing Liu
Before & after
The existing school
as a starting point
The archival view establishes the school and its setting; the completed view shows its renewed roofline and open veranda. The main structures and courtyard layout remain the framework for adaptation.
Archival views from different stages and viewpoints.
Before renewalFormer village school
After renewalCompleted 2020
Showing both views.
Design process
Sketch and model
Liu’s concept sketch concentrates on the roof profile and the building’s silhouette. The physical model brings roofs, walls and open edges into view together.
Shown with the renewal plan and completed building, these studies place formal exploration within the larger task of adapting an existing school for village use.
Reuse & adaptation
Retain the framework,
adapt the edges
The retained structures and courtyard organise the renewed building. Keeping this framework allows the former school to accommodate new activities within its existing arrangement.
Adapted verandas, timber corridors, pavilions and eaves extend the relationship between rooms and outdoor spaces. Local construction traditions inform these sheltered routes and edges.
Main structures
Adaptation
Shelter at the edges
Verandas and covered routes connect rooms with outdoor spaces and provide places to pause and gather.
Environmental design
Studying shade
and comfort
Sunlight and shading were examined during design, alongside considerations of ventilation and spatial comfort. These studies informed decisions about verandas, eaves and the relationship between rooms and outdoor spaces.
Everyday life
A building kept
in use
Villagers rest, talk and move between buildings beneath the verandas. Shared spaces also accommodate meetings and outdoor film screenings.
Sheltered edges and routes around the courtyard connect the building with the ordinary activities of village life. Continued use gives the architectural changes a purpose within that setting.
Circularity & continuity
Circularity here can be read through retention, adaptation and continued use: the school’s main structures and courtyard remain, while adapted sheltered edges support the changing activities of village life.
Project credits
- Lead architect
- Weibing Liu
- Design practice
- Sichuan David Architectural Design
- Client
- Dujiangyan Municipal Government
Concept sketch by Weibing Liu. Plan and study images are credited individually; photographs and the physical model image are from the studio’s project archive.
Project recognition · German Design Award 2027
Gold in Architecture – Public and Winner in Circular Design, both within Excellent Architecture.
Award records & coverageSelected projects · 2009–2022
Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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