Beijing’s “hutong” streets, which are characterized by their narrow thoroughfares and single-story courtyard homes, make up some of its most traditional areas. The city was once full of them, but in recent years, many have been demolished to make way for more contemporary housing. In an effort to preserve the few remaining hutongs, local architects have been working on ways to bring them into the 21st century without having to compromise their historic charm.

Sometimes, this means inserting small modern features into the courtyards themselves. These additions simply “plug in” to the homes and don’t require any extensive renovations to be made to the structures around them. For example, People’s Architecture Office (also known as PAO) created a small pop-up home that could be built in a day using nothing but a hex key, and B.L.U.E. conceived of a tiny transforming house that fits perfectly into a hutong’s narrow alleyways. Now, a gorgeous new project by Arch Studio is showing everyone just how much can be done when these historic structures are given the love and attention they deserve. Their “Twisting Courtyard” blends the home’s traditional features with modern elements and makes it look like a brand new development.
Twisting Courtyard is a traditional “Siheyuan” residence located in the city’s Dashilan district, just south of Tiananmen Square. Before being renovated, the home only had ...