The ambition of the project for the new « Green Hutong» is to transform the ancient block into a self-sufficient urban ecosystem. The project aims at becoming an example of new urbanization placing great emphasis on sustainability. In addition to building functions and visual appeal, it encourages the promotion of sustainable design, low carbon transportation, renewable energies, automation technologies, and new green building materials.
Inspired by the Land Art, the eco-architecture makes itself metabolic, fertile and creative! Facades are covered of free edible plants and become like epidermises, intelligent, self regenerational and organic.  Roofs and balconies become new grounds of a green city. The orchards and food gardens are not placed side by side with the new buildings anymore, they are the buildings of this eco-project!
To adapt form to function, to bet on biodiversity, to program the multi-functionality, to encourage multi-culture and self-management, these are the keys of an urban and social success to initiate the symbiosis within the couple « Human-Nature » in Beijing!
Inspired by the Land Art, the eco-architecture makes itself metabolic, fertile and creative! Facades are covered of free edible plants and become like epidermises, intelligent, self regenerational and organic.  Roofs and balconies become new grounds of a green city. The orchards and food gardens are not placed side by side with the new buildings anymore, they are the buildings of this eco-project! To adapt form to function, to bet on biodiversity, to program the multi-functionality, to encourage multi-culture and self-management, these are the keys of an urban and social success to initiate the symbiosis within the couple « Human-Nature » in Beijing !
The area is crucial in the process of regeneration of the urban area centered on the axis of Guang ‘an Hutong. It seems appropriated to build the project proposal combining the memory of the original buildings with innovative eco-responsible lifestyles. It results in a new organization of the site with a strong green footprint that regenerates his housing past and articulates the green architecture features. The master plan offers contemporary large public spaces and a dynamic social mix presenting high values in terms of urban centrality and connectivity between the different identities and cultural spots of the district.

Green Hutong

Localization: Xuanxi North – Beijing
Year: 2016
Architects: Francesco Colarossi, Luisa Saracino, Paolo Colarossi, Aurora di Manno, Francesco Rubeo, Fulvio Scarinci

Design for Construction of Sites in Xuanxi North, An International Conceptual Design Competition – HONORABLE MENTION

The three fundamental principles of the design are as following:
1. The system of public spaces, despite its variety, forms a unitary structure characterizing strongly the project from the point of view of beauty and quality of life. The variation of building types, scales and architectural languages presents an obvious additional aesthetic quality. The entire site is pedestrian!
2. Cityscape full of trees. The intensive planting of mature trees  is designed not only for their intrinsic beauty, but also for the positive environmental effects (reduction in CO2, particulate removal, microclimates in public spaces). All the roofs and balconies of each new buildings become communitarian orchards and/or food and aromatic gardens to design a flourishing and fertile master plan.
3. Bio-sustainability of urban plants and buildings : The landscape architecture (Land Arch)  aims at reaching the following green features : the recovery of rainwater for irrigation of public and private green areas, photovoltaic electricity production, the domestic hot water production by solar tubes, the control of microclimates in public spaces (daylight and shadow), the municipal solid waste recycling on site by biomass, the energy-efficient buildings (treatment of facades with respect to guidance), and finally the lighting appliances with integrated micro-wind turbines.