Technology and Tradition

This article is from the archive of Roca Gallery. It was first published in September 2024.

As architects who enjoy bold designs, we often balance honoring tradition with our proposals. One such project was the Sanya Farm Lab in the Nanfan High Tech District of Sanya, the southernmost city on tropical Hainan Island.

Sanya Farm Lab sits in an area of rapid transformation. The local government is investing heavily in tackling environmental change, land and water scarcity, and food production issues. There's also a growing demand for rural tourism and nature experiences among the burgeoning Chinese middle class. The Nanfan District, known as the "Silicon Valley" of China's seed industry, is a key player in seed breeding and agricultural innovation, responsible for over 70% of China's new seed varieties.

Our design for the Sanya Farm Lab reflects this dynamic context. The building unites a laboratory for advanced organic crop farming with the evolving awareness of eco-conscious lifestyles. Highlighting how abstract technologies can improve everyday life, it helps to break down traditional boundaries between urban and natural environments.

Inside the multifunctional building, exhibition spaces display high-tech innovations in agricultural robotics and indoor vertical farming. These are presented adjacent to researchers' offices, promoting a sense of collaboration and shared purpose. Educational events and a "farm-to-table" restaurant create a direct connection between agricultural research and daily life. In a contemporary interpretation of a farm, this mix of office, lab, and exhibition allows visitors to explore modern agriculture in an immersive environment.

The architectural composition is simple: Stacked boxes shift to give space to terraces across four levels, wrapped by a permeable envelope designed for maximum climate comfort. Inspired by the protruding roof structures of the traditional houses of the local Li minority, the wooden grid encloses the entire building as a faceted outer skin. This grid provides shade and shelter while ensuring natural ventilation and open views of the volumetric complexity of its inner workings. With a depth of almost a meter, the grid defines the project's distinct appearance in a simple yet powerful statement.

Generous outdoor public spaces complement the interior throughout. A continuous covered loop provides landscape continuity and shelter along the ground floor lobbies and exhibition zones. A cantilevering lab space on the second floor converts the adjacent double-story showcase into a half-climate space, and the large landscaped platforms on the third and fourth levels are perfect for outdoor dining and a children's playground.

The integration of indoor and semi-external spaces on every level is a nod to traditional Chinese courtyards, fostering community interaction and a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor environments.

Feature elements link across all levels: An impressive spiral staircase winds its way up through the open areas, while the bleachers of a multifunctional auditorium integrate connectivity with a public forum.

In alignment with its theme of green and multifunctional research and leisure spaces, the design embraces contemporary sustainability features. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis was instrumental in optimizing natural ventilation and thermal comfort, particularly in the outdoor areas. By simulating airflow, humidity, and temperature distribution, we ensured the building's gridded roof structure would facilitate excellent wind circulation and maintain comfortable temperatures of around 25°C.

The deep wooden grid acts like a natural sunblock for the building, providing shade to outdoor areas, indoor offices, and public spaces with up to 70% sunlight absorption. Inside, we prioritized natural light and ventilation. Glare-free natural light filters into the office and research zones, while the fritted roof glazing allows sunlight to permeate outdoor areas. Open facades ensure optimal natural ventilation, reducing the need for artificial climate control, and allowing the building to naturally breathe with its surroundings.

Rainwater harvesting is another essential feature, with inclined and horizontal grid elements fitted with gutters to collect rainwater for landscape irrigation, reducing reliance on external water sources.

The juxtaposition with adjacent conventional offices and residential buildings of the science zone further emphasizes the visual, spatial, and conceptual innovations embodied by the Sanya Farm Lab. This project showcases how architecture can transcend traditional boundaries and create a space that is not only functional but also inspiring and socially engaging.

The Sanya Farm Lab embodies our idea of social space, creating an environment where people can come together to learn, interact, and experience the future of agriculture in a meaningful way.

Through this project, we discovered that harnessing the wisdom of tradition doesn't constrain creativity; rather, it amplifies it.

Main image: Aerial view, Sanya Farm Lab, Sanya, Hainan Island, China, 2020, CLOU Architects. Photo © Shining Laboratory