HZS: Winner of International Residential Architecture Awards 2025. Positioned within Guangzhou’s Haizhu District in the burgeoning Shangyong precinct, the project resides at a pivotal nexus of the city’s southward-expanding central axis. Framed by the verdant expanse of Shangyong Park and the ecological haven of Haizhu Lake, it commands exclusive, unobstructed south-facing vistas. Confronting the challenges of a dense urban milieu, the project advances the paradigm of “Living Above the Forest, Immersed in Nature.” It pioneers a sustainable urban habitat that harmoniously synthesizes ecological robustness, vibrant community life, and uncompromised living excellence.

At the master-planning level, the design implements a cohesive, multi-parcel orchestration strategy, differentiating residential offerings based on land valuation and ecological sensitivity. An uninterrupted tapestry of landscaped promenades and pedestrian-priority pathways weaves together individual clusters, forging a lucidly structured, ecologically permeable compound community network. Embracing an inward-focused courtyard typology, the plan frames a monumental 260-by-100-meter Central Green Oasis, affording every residence premier, direct communion with nature. This core green heart concurrently functions as a vital organ for microclimate moderation and biodiversity enrichment, tangibly manifesting the project’s commitment to “Sponge Community” infrastructure and biomimetic, near-nature design principles.

The architectural language is governed by a “Horizontal Villa” typology, prioritizing spatial adaptability and fostering egalitarian interaction within the household. Signature design gestures – such as fluid, open-plan Living-Dining-Kitchen (LDK) zones, paired balconies, and convertible flex rooms – simultaneously elevate spatial utility and cultivate inherently low-carbon living patterns. Unifying all residential towers, fully-programmed pilotis levels (elevated ground floors) are thoughtfully injected with curated amenities: dedicated children’s discovery zones, wellness and fitness pavilions, and convivial neighborhood lounges. This conscientious activation of interstitial “grey space” catalyzes community life, contributing materially to the project’s social sustainability agenda.

Inspired by the enchanting archetype of the “Forest Treehouses,” the façade system employs a strategy of volumetric fragmentation, staggered refuge floor displacements, and meticulously articulated rooftop crowns. This triad of moves dissolves the monolithic bulk typical of high-rises, yielding an ethereal, gracefully animated silhouette against the sky. A consciously selected material palette – featuring curved glazing, recycled aluminum cladding, and fine-grained metallic mesh – achieves superior thermal performance while bestowing upon the architecture a contemporary yet warmly tactile, eco-conscious identity. Sky gardens and cascading vertical greening systems further efface the delineation between built form and living ecology, effectuating a holistic, verdant inhabitation of the “Fifth Façade.”

The mobility framework is meticulously choreographed to enforce absolute pedestrian-vehicle segregation and to instill a profound, ritualistic sense of arrival. It orchestrates a multi-sensory, sequentially unfolded homecoming procession from the entrance lobby to the sunken courtyards and down to the luminous underground hall. As the community’s core amenity, the clubhouse integrates a heated pool, fitness center, and private dining suite, adopting natural lighting and ventilation strategies to create a low-energy, high-comfort shared living hub.

Grounded in the realities of high-density urbanism, the overall design synthesizes architecture, landscape, interiors, and public realms through a systemic approach. Within limited land resources, it achieves a balanced integration of ecological performance, social inclusivity, and residential quality – shaping a sustainable living community that grows with the city and breathes with nature.

Project Details:-
Firm
HZS

Architect
Su Xinjie, Liu Xun, Hu Xiaoqiong, Su Jinkun, Xu Tao

Project Name
ONE OASIS

Project Category
Housing More than 5 Floors Under Construction

Team
Su Xinjie, Liu Xun, Hu Xiaoqiong, Su Jinkun, Xu Tao, Li Yanqing, Cui Duo, Wu Fanglin, Yang Yinqiu, Zhang Yaxuan, Li Wangwang, Mao Yang, Li Chenming

Project Location
Guangzhou

Country
China

Photography ©Credit
©HZS

HZS is an multi-disciplinary design firm striving to provide “integrated” services of planning architecture and landscape design to our clients. Founded for several years, HZS always concentrates on comprehensive design with seamless joint of planning, architecture and landscape and ensures that all design can be perfectly constructed.

HZS has about 800 employees worldwide and our core design team includes dozens of registered planners, architects and landscape designers home and abroad.