Captain’s House in China Merges With Seaside Cliffs

Vector Architects rehabilitated a fortress-like residence on the southeast end of the Huangqi Peninsula, Fujian Province, China. Named Captain’s House, the project is dramatically embedded into a rocky landscape and offers panoramic sea views.

“The damp and erosive nature of the land caused large-area water leakage during over 20 years of use, which become the main design issue to be addressed,” the architects said. Furthermore, the owners wanted to add a third floor to the existing structure in order to answer the living needs of the family.

“Our design work started with the study of structural reinforcement,” the architects explained. “After a series of careful comparisons, we decided to add a concrete layer to the original brick masonry walls. The intervention of the new concrete wall allowed us to re-manipulate the layout to some extent.”

The living room, dining room and master bedroom were oriented towards the views. The upper level comes with an original vaulted ceiling and accommodates a multi-functional living space. Additionally, since the captain’s family is Christian, this space is also intended to be a family chapel.

The new concrete window frames protrude from the outside wall, which prevents excessive rainwater from entering the house. Information provided by Vector Architects; photography courtesy of Xia Zhi, Howard Chan and Chen Zhenqiang