The New Rural Community of Mugou Village by Atelier Zhouling

Revitalizing Jiangsu’s Rural Landscape

The New Rural Community of Mugou Village, designed by Atelier Zhouling, is a landmark project responding to Jiangsu Province's 2020 initiative for “New Rural Community” construction. Situated in the heart of the Li-Xi-He Plain, Yilin Town, this project aims to enhance villagers' living conditions, counter rural depopulation, and create a harmonious urban-rural relationship. The development encompasses the renovation of the Old Village and the creation of a New Village, located 250 meters west, accommodating 38 households in the first phase.

Water-Inspired Spatial Design

Mugou Village’s unique geomorphic environment served as a guiding principle for the New Village’s layout. By preserving and continuing the region's intricate water network, the design maintains a seamless connection between water fields, ponds, and residential areas. This thoughtful approach reinforces the distinctive Lakeland settlement features, preserving the natural “water-field-village” relationship while maintaining the visual and spatial character of the Old Village.

Clustered Courtyard Layout

The New Village employs a stylized method of spatial combination: four housing units form a courtyard, while six to ten units cluster together in one of five unit styles. Public courtyards act as focal points, organically organizing the units into the “monomer-courtyard combination-cluster-settlement” growth model. This innovative configuration fosters community interaction while retaining the traditional rural village structure.

Modern Interpretation of Traditional Architecture

Mugou New Village bridges the old and the new, interpreting traditional northern Jiangsu waterside village architecture through contemporary design. White brick walls paired with dark gray tiles create geometric contrasts, evoking the aesthetic beauty of traditional dwellings while introducing modern elegance. This approach modernizes regional architectural language while respecting historical identity and the natural environment.

Sustainable Community Integration

Following the principle of “new village, new settlement, never leaving the land and never leaving the hometown,” the design carefully integrates residence form, courtyard combinations, settlement texture, and water landforms. The New Village preserves the scale, stylistic features, and geomorphic characteristics of the Old Village, creating a familiar, vibrant, and sustainable environment for villagers. This project represents a significant advancement in contemporary rural design across Jiangsu’s waterside communities.

  All photographs are works of Bowen Hou