Shuangfeng Village Renovation
Role: Service Designer, Architecture Designer Duration: 7 Months Cooperator: Wenkang Chen, Tianyu Shao
Tool: AutoCAD, SketchUp, Enscape, etc. Project Nature: Client-Oriented Instructor: Yunwen Chen
Background
Shuangfeng Village is located in the West Lake Scenic Area, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. As a "village within the scenery", despite having a tea industry and tea culture related to Longjing tea, its development has been consistently challenging.
This project takes place within the context of West Lake's Song culture development, as well as the collective efforts of Shuangfeng Village and the government, seeking to revitalize the village through transformation.
Preliminary Research
Poor Returns from Funds and Service among Stakeholders
Stakeholder Map
New Business Model Planned by the Government
Governments’ Strategy
Business Model Change Proposed by the Government
Before we arrived at the village, the government had already formulated strategies and completed the relocation of the villagers. And our task is to figure out how to sustainably monetize the village's land for the benefit of both the villagers and the businesses.
Research
Cultural Value, Customer Traffic, Sustainable Income is Required
Interviews about Government's Requirements & Willingness of Businesses to Pay
Firstly, we communicated with government officials to clarify their requirements and suggestions regarding the industries. With the assistance of government personnel, we conducted further interviews with representatives from interested businesses who were invited.
Shift Focus towards Service Industry and Tourism
Case Study & Our Strategy
Interview Highlights and Survey Photos
To establish a suitable business model that adapts to local conditions, we have conducted case analyses by referring to various business models, planning, and policies in rural areas of China.
After drawing lessons from the cases and analyzing the local conditions, it is evident that agriculture alone is insufficient to sustain the holistic development of Shuangfeng Village. It would be more suitable to shift the focus towards the service industry and tourism.
Case Analysis
Clarify Needs of Government, Company, and Tourist
Archetype
Top Strategy
Ideation
Assess the Industry Combining Input and Output
Brainstorm & Assess
We have listed potential industries that could be introduced and evaluated each one from dimensions such as cost, profit margin, and various stakeholders' perspectives. The following table presents the assessment of some of them.
Since the Low Input - High Output industry is not enough to support the operation of the entire village, we have made a further analysis of the Low Input - Output and High Input - Output industries.
Assessment Results of Part Industries - The darker the color, the more advantageous it is.
Clearly, the two types of industries are complementary in some ways.
Analysis of the Low I-O and High I-O Industries
Integrate Different Industries Effectively by a B2B Model
Business Model
After discussion and analysis, we have proposed a B2B strategy: Large-scale industries provide funding to alleviate the survival pressure of small-scale enterprises; small-scale industries attract customer traffic to meet the user quantity required for the sale or consumption of products from large-scale industries.
B2B Operating Model
Design
Space Situation of the Village & Design Strategy
Site Research
We visited the site and conducted a survey, identifying the existing issues with the site and proposing targeted design strategies.
Functional Zoning and Assigning Functions to Buildings
Layout Planning
We conducted a functional zoning of the village and specific planning for some key nodes, updated the village's site plan, and determined the functions of each building.
Next, we updated the village's site plan after planning adjustments and determined the functions of each building.
Functional Zoning
Renovation Based on Song Dynasty Culture
Architecture Facades and Landscape Renovation
Site Plan
Function of Buildings
In order to blend the classical aesthetics of ancient architecture with modern functionality, we carried out a unified transformation of the village's building facades based on the architectural features of the Song Dynasty.
Additionally, we designed three distinct interior space layouts to cater to three different types of businesses. At the same time, we also renovated the courtyards to enhance connectivity between the buildings and to address the elevation differences.
Song Culture Experience Design and Guiding App
Experience Design
In the Song cultural experience zone, we have recreated various aspects of life during the Song Dynasty, including food, rituals, and more, providing visitors with an immersive experience as if they were transported back in time.
Additionally, we have selected two books reflecting the vibrant everyday life of the Song Dynasty – "Dongjing Meng Hua Lu" and "Yijian Zhi" – and scattered chapters from these books throughout various corners of the village for visitors to seek out and collect in order to receive rewards.
Song Culture Experience Points
To enhance the visitor experience within the village and to better advertise and promote paid enterprises, we have designed a guiding APP that helps guests understand and engage with various services.
Book Chapter Distribution Points
APP Interface
Impact
Exhibition in West Lake Museum
Later, we turned our planning and design proposals into display boards and exhibited them in the hall of the West Lake Museum for a duration of two months.
Renovation Began
Upon aligning with their road map, the government adopted our design strategies and initiated the village transformation a year later.
Below is the scene in the village when revisited one year later—some companies, such as Jason Furniture and various private guesthouses, have settled in the village.
Photos of the Exhibition
Photos during the Renovation
Takeaways
* Real and huge projects require balance, coordination and even compromise between various dimensions of design and all stakeholders.
* A holistic planning perspective is significant, helping think about business value, social impact, and design aesthetics and combining them effectively in plan.
* After understanding the government’s final renovation plan, I realized that the design needs to take into account more stakeholders and a more complex interest network in subsequent real construction and operations.