Habitat Qinhuangdao / Safdie Architects

Architects: Safdie Architects
Area: 445,935 m²
Year: 2017
Photography: Courtesy of Safdie Architects and Kerry Properties
Landscape Design Institute: Ager Group, DQLand
Landscape Design Architects: SWA Group
Local Design Institute: China Shanghai Architectural Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd.
Facade Design Institute: Zhe Jiang Zhong Nan Construction Group Co., Ltd.
Facade Consultants: Konstruct West Partners
Lighting Design Consultants: Lam Partners and Brandston Partnership Inc.
Interior Designers: BC&A International Ltd., Yasha
Client: Kerry Properties Limited
City: Qinhuangdao
Country: China

Habitat Qinhuangdao, a high-density beachfront residential community in Qinhuangdao, China, was designed by Safdie Architects and completed in 2017. The project introduces an innovative urban housing model by incorporating garden environments into its design. The community features stacked vertical modules that create a porous massing with terraces and gardens, enhancing both the views and fostering connections among residents. The complex is structured around a beachfront boardwalk and a bazaar-like spine, which links the city to the waterfront, promoting a seamless connection between urban life and natural surroundings.

The project’s design is part of Phase I of Qinhuangdao Golden Dream Bay and includes a series of vertical modules arranged in stepped patterns along the shore. This arrangement creates large urban windows that frame expansive views of the ocean, city, and sky, while maintaining a sense of openness. The north-south orientation and stepped profile of the buildings ensure that all units receive ample sunlight, contributing to both energy efficiency and a pleasant living environment. This thoughtful approach to massing and environmental integration sets a precedent for future high-density urban developments.

The complex is organized around a beachfront boardwalk running north-south and an east-west bazaar-like spine that connects surrounding communities to the beach. This intersecting layout inks the city with the waterfront, facilitating daytime and nighttime activities throughout the year, distinguishing it form typical high-density development that often isolate the urban fabric from the waterfront.

The project consists of individual 15-story slab buildings, stacked in two tiers to reach a total height of 30 stories. These staggered building blocks connect corner to corner between tiers, resulting in a diverse array of units, each offering varying degrees of openness and views.

Many units include gardens open to the sky, solariums, bay windows, or balconies. Additionally, the garden and pool areas atop the parking deck and vitality to the 15th and 30th community levels.

A unique features of the complex is the community thoroughfare at the 15th level, which connects the building blocks and allows residents to traverse the entire development surrounded by greenery and scenic views of both the city and the ocean. Despite the unconventional construction methods and efficient service cores.

Habitat Qinhuangdao’s design is responsive to local zoning ordinances, ensuring that each unit receives a minimum of three hours of sunlight daily during the winter solstice by orienting the tower blocks north-south. The project exemplifies how high-density urban housing can maintain a balance between construction efficiency and the quality of living spaces, offering a model for future urban development at similar densities.