Atelier FCJZ: FRP house

'FRP house' by atelier FCJZ, nanjing, china
all images courtesy of atelier FCJZ

by beijing-based firm atelier FCJZ, the 'FRP house', short for 'fiber reinforced polymer' is a single family residence in nanjing,
china which attempts to design for ecological sustainability in the context of the country's technological developments.
research for and use of new building materials is one of the primary strategies in designing for sustainability. the structure's materiality
therefore took precedence and the goal of testing FRP as a building material was to create a new type of lightweight architecture.
with similar mechanical properties as steel, it has a unit mass a fifth of steel, with an even greater tensile strength. the low-heat
manufacturing process and lightness allows for ease of transportation and construction, resulting in greater energy efficiency and less impact
on the land.


garden

in collaboration with a civil engineering institute, the design process consisted of a series of research and development
on the material composition and structural capacity of the new building material. rigorous stress tests revealed its mechanical behavior
that determined the optimal material composition for application, while a special technique developed it as an architectural component
through a simple and convenient manufacturing process. in contrast to concrete and steel,, the use of FRP, allowed for a structural system
well-suited for utilizing plug-in joints and prefabrication, rather than welding and on-site construction generating a rapidly-assembled architecture
whose formal expression is a response to the construction process. a constructed 2-storey mock-up of the structure in beijing qianmen
verified the investigations.


bedroom

despite the highly technical process, the technology remains embedded in and inspired by an intimate understanding of
contemporary and traditional culture. the structural system is a reflection of the lightness and re-usability of traditional chinese
wooden architecture, as much as it is an attempt in developing contemporary design culture through the wielding of
new materials and techniques.


building segment


building segment


detail


preparing for testing


installation + orientation


testing for 2 levels structure unit


level 1 load


level 1 load


data collection


site plan


(left) floor plan / waterside level 1
(right) floor plan / waterside level 2


(left) floor plan / central level
(right) floor plan / entry level


section


research framework


general narrative


manufacturing


material + structural testing


construction


system study


architectural application

model in atelier FCJZ's beijing studio
image © designboom


model in atelier FCJZ's beijing studio
image © designboom

project info:

project: FRP house – CIPEA (china international practical exhibition of architecture)
location: south zhenzhuquan area, north foshou lake, zhongzhuang reservoir, nanjing, jiangsu province
client: nanjing foshou lake art development co. ltd
architecture design: atelier FCJZ
principal architect: yung ho chang
project architect: lu bing liu
project team: hen long, wu xia, wang lin, feng bo, huang peng, yan ping wang
consultant: nanjing university of technology, civil engineering institute
R & D: atelier FCJZ and nanjing university of technology
building area: 70 sq. meters
building stories: 2-storied aboveground, 1 story elevated
structural type: FRP spaced structural framing system
design period: 2003-2010
proposed completion: 2011
construction time: 2010-2011