Nine Dragons Housing Complex is a Green-Roofed Residential Maze in China

Nine residential towers will soon rise in Suizhong, China on top of a green-roofed maze as part of a larger mixed-use development. To be sited next to its sister project, the <a href="http://www.ykhlab.com/slides2.html?Page_ID=2&amp;cate=2&amp;BID=8" target="_blank">Suizhong Apt-factory</a>, Nine Dragons Housing complex will feature 8 distinctive courtyards and roof gardens that weave in and out of each other like a 3D maze. Designed by <a href="http://www.ykhlab.com/slides2.html?Page_ID=2&amp;cate=2&amp;BID=13&amp;giimg=8" target="_blank">YKH_Lab</a>, the residential towers and the green-roofed plinth were oriented to maximize natural daylighting and views.

To design the mixed-use complex, <a href="http://www.ykhlab.com/DocView.html?Page_ID=2" target="_blank">YKH_lab</a> began with a 'mat-hybrid' layout to differentiate between public courtyards and private spaces and to infiltrate daylighting into all the buildings.

The project is a mix of three different housing typologies - the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtyard_housing" target="_blank">courtyard apartment</a>; the linear <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Row_house" target="_blank">row housing</a>; and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-rise_tower_blocks" target="_blank">high rise tower</a>.

The final form evolved over time as a way to maximize views from every apartment as well as to infiltrate natural daylighting into as many rooms as possible.

Tower heights and angles were adjusted in order to benefit the natural day-lighting into both high and low residential apartments.

In total, the housing complex features 362 apartments as well as parking, community centers, residential areas, gardens, courtyards, and retail zones.

A series of green roofed ramps and pedestrian pathways provide a variety of ways to move around the complex for both residents and visitors to the complex.

Proximity of the development to other major centers in the area.

Location of the complex in Liaoning Digital Technology Industrial District, Suizhong City, China.

Community space is also interwoven into the complex and provides eight courtyards, four connecting roof gardens, and four, flexible indoor community spaces that could be used for cafes, a library, health clubs, or event halls.

The resulting form of the development is a combination of 3 housing typologies.

These public spaces and gardens promote community interaction, physical activity and walkability as a way to provide everything that one needs within the complex.

The towers were angled to optimize daylighting and views.

Model of the Nine Dragons Housing Complex next to the Suizhong Apt-factory.