SJZ MIXED USE

Client: SJZ Corporation
Location: Shijiazhuang, China
Project Status: Completed

This project was part of a larger urban renewal site in China. The existing landscape was barren without any trees, and with poor infrastructure consisting of old and dilapidated buildings. There were older residential neighborhoods combined with some small retail. The development of the area would bring transformation to the surrounding demographic as well with the emerging Chinese upper-middle class calling the area home.

We were asked to develop a commercial, pedestrian friendly landscape that would include a variety of activities as well as guide people seamlessly through spaces. As designers we needed to grasp an understanding of the cultural and social factors that would affect the form and function of our design. Adaptation to client’s needs and desires was crucial for a successful completion of the project. Eventually the project would consist of a four-square-block radius of 5-star hotels, office buildings, serviced apartments, retail, and entertainment.

We focused our design principles on providing seamless outdoor pedestrian spaces and to reinforce the streetscape design in order to create a vibrant urban hub. We used rich textured materials and a color palate that were familiar to the Chinese culture, as well as planting materials that would thrive in a harsh urban environment. The plantings are all low maintenance as per request by the client, as well as a heavy use of evergreen hedges to structurally define outdoor spaces, especially at street perimeter. The design process took approximately nine months, and construction around two years. The project was completed in December of 2012. The whole project was designed and developed in a single phase.