In Beijing, China, neighborhoods of traditional homes called “siheyuan” cluster together around their characteristic individual courtyards. The outdoor spaces are enclosed by the rooms of the houses, visible only to those who live there. Made of tile, stone, and wood, siheyuan have been a hallmark of the city for more than 800 years now, but for a while they were disappearing, demolished in favor of newer, more contemporary architecture.

Before the renovation, the building was in poor shape, with most of the roofs, walls, doors, and windows damaged or missing. But potential remained in the framework, arched door openings, and other elements, and ARCHSTUDIO wanted to “renovate the old and insert the new.” They repaired and reinforced what they could with the goal of restoring the building to look like a traditional siheyuan, but added a bathroom, kitchen, and garage as well as HVAC lines and new verandas. One of the biggest challenges of living in unrestored siheyuan is the fact that most of them don’t have indoor plumbing, so these simple additions make a big difference. This siheyuan was originally a cluster of three houses: one on the north and two on the sides. ARCHSTUDIO followed its original layout to create a new tea room, living room, dining room, and kitchen. But their design deviates from the traditional one in two major ways. Firstly, the billowing of both the roof and new glass enclosures creates spaces that are protected by the wea...