Griffin Enright Architects: Winner of International Residential Architecture Awards 2021. Luxe Lakes Villas is a community of forty-six new residences comprised of 6 different prototypical semi-urban residences situated on an island in a new urban lake in Chengdu, China. In this project, an urban typology (the townhome) is transformed to accommodate lakeside views while also creating garden courtyards. Connected by waterways, the new islands create an urban density that is part of a larger central district. Our strategy for the villas is to rethink the row house typology by deforming each villa plan at its center. Each of the six villa types is pinched to create a new courtyard, allowing views from the street-side of each property and creating sinuous internal pathways with framed views of the natural surroundings. In each villa, the movement through space is choreographed in relation to swerving skylights that bring natural light into the interiors. The major axis of each house links the street side with the lakeside along a curving spine that hides and then reveals the view to the lake. At each shift off the path, a view is framed, or a room with a view is discovered. The deformation of the main spine of the house defines public and private spaces, divides spaces by creating pathways, and directs views of the lakes and courtyard. The form of the villas is the result of these deformations and their corollary narrative intent. Together, the multiple villa types combine to create a new take on the semi- urban typology, one that is adaptable to a hybrid site with dense housing in an organic framework.

Strategic design of overhangs and day-lighting techniques create well lit, yet thermally stable environments. Skylights bring indirect light deep into the interiors, saving energy because no lights are required during the day. Overhangs protect windows and doors from the harsh sun, naturally protecting interiors from thermal heat gain. Highly insulated, energy-saving windows and doors, in strategic locations, utilize appropriate sun angles to create a thermally stable environment. Openings at opposite ends of the house promote interior breezes, such that artificial cooling systems are rarely needed.

Energy-saving appliances, highly efficient mechanical systems and LED lighting reduce energy requirements. Highly insulated, high-performance wall and roof systems create thermal stability. Private garden courtyards are planted with local plants and ground cover and contribute to the ecology of the lake while maintaining the porous condition of the site as a means of sustainability. The plant materials contribute to a local ecology in the community, as well as the larger environment of the new city. The garden and house are designed as an integrated whole, allowing the house to engage in its environment.

Project Details
Firm
Griffin Enright Architects

Project Name
Luxe Lakes Villas

Architect/Designer
Margaret Griffin

International Residential Architecture Awards Category
Residential Built

Project Location
Chengdu

Team
Jian Huang, Christine Chow, Brian Harms, Lucia Bartholomew, Nanao Shimizu, Matheos Asfaw, Joe Carlos, Monica McKay, Kefilwe Mogorosi, Karen Kim, Aaron Ryan, Kiley Feickert, Evan Collins

Country
United States of America

Photography ©Credit
©Arch-Exist

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Griffin Enright Architects

Griffin Enright Architects is an award-winning, interdisciplinary Los Angeles-based firm with institutional, cultural, and residential projects built nationally and abroad. Griffin Enright Architects was founded by Margaret Griffin, FAIA, and John Enright, FAIA, LEED AP, as a collaborative design practice that explores new prospects for the built environment through their integration of architectural, urban, landscape, and interior design. Using focused, inventive, and strategic thinking, they pursue unexpected solutions to transform overlooked conditions into landmark projects through their expertise in construction techniques and community engagement.