Villa #62 in Ordos, China

This proposal for a 1000 square meter villa in Inner Mongolia, China is part of a development of 100 villas to be designed by 100 architects from 27 different countries. The project is coordinated by Ai Wei Wei of Fake Design, Beijing and Herzog & de Meuron, Basel. The villa we propose in Ordos is designed and experienced as an artificial mountain for a tenant who may be a wanderer in this new culture. We refer to the current geological culture of coal mining near Ordos and the shapes of the many interior mountains and caves in the region. As on any hill, the villa is traversed via multiple paths and ways of going up, down, or around.

There are two main promenades that define the architecture of the villa, one outside and one inside. The outside promenade is an ample and open path along with the landscaped areas, all the way to the top of the building. A guest can experience the architecture almost without entering the house. The promenade inside is a journey through all the vital parts of the villa. It starts with a cavernous entrance cut through the mountainous shape of the house and ends in the bedrooms’ quarters. These two promenades meet several times along their way bringing qualities of the inside and outside worlds together. The expressive nature of the shape of the villa comes from the play between the public and the private, curating them together in the dominant shape of the architecture of the villa.

Site: Villa 62 – Ordos, Inner Mongolia. China

I played a key role in all phases of the design process, collaborating closely with the NAO design team to create and execute design concepts. My responsibilities included serving as the lead 3D modeler, model maker, and rendering specialist. I also provided assistance with Chinese translation for documents and presentations. This project was a collaborative effort involving Srdjan Jovanovic Weiss, Kristen Smith, and Margaux Schindler.

Curator: Ai Weiwei
Source: Normal Architecture Office

[Learn more about the Ordos 100 project]