The Hangzhou Neighborhood Center will be a heart of the local community with architectural programs such as : fitness, recreation, senior health, supermarket, cultural programs, rooftop coffee shop and child care center. The goal for the center is to feel as if it is emerging from a park space, creating a unique challenge for the Landscape Architect.
The site is a relatively small urban footprint on-structure with soil depth limitations and local code requiring a firelane running through the green space. The design for the landscape maximizes the nature experience for visitors as they approach the building. The mechanism of achieving the feeling of a complex layered “natural” environment are tilted planes as sloping landforms moving in a dynamic rhythm with one another. The planting selection carefully utilizes the budget and soil depth to create a feeling of diverse textures and movement with seasonal interest year-round taking advantage of the plant species of Hangzhou.