Landscape Design for Beijing Yan Garden (Phase III), Taikang Flagship Retirement Community by Hope Design is located in Changping, Beijing, surrounded by Baifuquan Wetland Park and Mangshan National Forest Parks. Taikang Community Yan Garden, Taikang’s first internationally standardized flagship retirement community, has established itself as a critical focal point in addressing the pressing need to create a value-regenerating center of better solutions to social growth and a core of locally nurtured hospitality.
Embracing the concept of ‘water within the city, nurturing beauty and well-being,’ the design team is committed to improving the elderly living experience by combining water’s nourishing nature into the site to produce “Eight Pleasures and Eight Sceneries” with a humanistic twist. The team attempts to create a safe and pleasant living environment for the elderly while also delivering many cultural and entertainment experiences by blending the city’s local spirits into the design, concentrating on customizing the dwelling place for seniors.
Phase III of Beijing Yan Garden will keep the original spatial arrangement and serve two functions: housing and elderly centers. A six-entrance courtyard is constructed by combining enclosures of varied sizes to simulate a courtyard atmosphere. The protected veranda in closed-loop form runs the whole first floor of Phase III, increasing the community’s connection.
The design of the “Jian Si Yuan” (Contemplating the Source) courtyard is inspired by the “Eight Scenes of Yanjing” and the murmuring waters of the “Yuquan Baotu” (Spurting Spring at Yuquan Mountain), resulting in a distinct entrance environment. The inclusion of cascading water fountains embodies the philosophical connotation of ‘when consuming fruits, one should think of the fruit trees; when drinking water, one should think of the source of the river,’ while evergreen plants instill vitality and vigor in the overall landscape.
Spatial Arrangement, Courtyard Design and Rooftop Garden
The rooftop garden celebrates elderly-friendly architecture down to the smallest detail, offering seniors a functionally enhanced space for leisure activities. Barrier-free paths and panoramic platforms are meticulously constructed to meet the needs of the elderly.
The therapeutic fragrance of flowers in the atrium and the outdoor leisure room provide residents with a broad range of living settings. The Beijing Yan Garden’s main building’s roof is a mesh of woven metal that peaks in the middle and slopes down to the edges, with a PTFE membrane layer on top to cover the building entirely. In keeping with the overall architectural motif, they have included a lighting system that illuminates the distinctive roof with a warm, white, nearly ethereal glow, creating the sensation of sunlight on a water droplet.
The lighting system includes around 6,000 linear lights that are seamlessly positioned into the draped walls. Experiments have revealed that the PTFE membrane’s light transmission of 70% and reflective capacity of 18% enable adequate sunlight on the second floor’s roof garden during the day and ample illumination at night, demonstrating its membranous reflective capabilities.
“Pursuing the Pleasure and Engagement” is a special multi-functional venue developed specifically for the elderly’s fitness and entertainment needs. Facilities such as diverse sports and leisure activity areas, a “Sunshine Garden” for developing pastoral fun, and isolated pavilions amid the greenery all encourage the elderly to participate in community life actively. Taikang Community Yan Garden exemplifies the merger of health care, humanism, and innovation, establishing itself as a model flagship healthcare community and creating a completely new perception in the field of senior care.
Project Info
Project Name: Landscape Design for Beijing Yan Garden (Phase III)—Taikang Flagship Retirement Community
Project Scale: 6ha
Client: Taikang Insurance Group
Design Team: Shenzhen Hope Design Co., Ltd. (Scheme Design – Draft Design)
Photography: Chill Shine – Hope Design-Liu Weijia
