The grilling hub
Location: Minhang, Shanghai, China | Interior |2,400 sf
, 220 smLead: Jiageng Guo
Design: Will Sun, Xinyi Xie, Rhyna Chen
CM: Chengcheng Zhu
Status: Complete
A fragmented suburban fabric in the outskirts of Shanghai has expanded rapidly over the past two decades — this three-story townhouse operates both as a sanctuary from economic volatility and as a collective space for a nuclear family. The project organizes itself through a looping millwork system that threads through the house to socialize domestic space.
Ground Floor: the loop begins at the kitchen drop-off and dining spine, forming four counters with integrated sinks that anchor communal cooking and cleaning as the core of the home.
Garden / Basement: the garden connects to an outdoor grill that ties back to the family tradition, while the basement becomes a 5-meter-high loft space drawing natural light from a skylight above.
Second Floor: the loop becomes shelving, desks, and thresholds that weave private rooms into shared activity.Through these calibrated connections, the project rethinks the typical suburban residence as a social infrastructure — using one continuous element to build relationships, strengthen rituals, and redefine how domestic space can promote collective life.