Seaside Holiday Home | ZaoRuì (Beijing) Architectural Design Consulting Co., Ltd. | World Design Awards 2024

ZaoRuì (Beijing) Architectural Design Consulting Co., Ltd.: Winner of World Design Awards 2024. The project is situated in a coastal town in northern China, featuring a duplex apartment with terraces that overlook the sea. As this is the owner’s second residence, we prioritized leisure and vacation aspects over daily living functions. This led us to focus on two main design objectives: first, how to break away from the conventional three-bedroom, one-living-room layout to create a fluid, mobile vacation space; and second, how to ensure the interior design enhances the sea view without overpowering it.

In terms of spatial layout, we removed the partition wall of the bedroom closest to the dining area and introduced a half-height curved wall. This design fosters a dynamic interaction among the corridor, activity room, kitchen, and living room. We also incorporated vertical transparent windows in several key areas to invite light into the space, suggesting a connection to the rooms beyond and facilitating a seamless flow.

The entire home features beige-gray micro-cement as the wall material, echoing the color of the nearby sea sand. This choice creates a harmonious blend between the interior and the beach outside, making it feel as if the shoreline is extending into the living space. As light shifts throughout the day, the curved corners, mottled scratches, and varied reflections on the walls enhance the texture and depth of the space, creating an ever-changing ambiance. The polished terrazzo flooring casts soft shadows that dance across the sky and furniture, diminishing material contrasts to create a cohesive atmosphere where the shape, volume, and light work together, allowing the stunning blue sea view to remain a focal point.

Embracing its seaside location, the entire space requires no artificial embellishments or concealment. It simply reveals its authentic character, allowing the sea, sky, and light to infuse it with vitality.