Mirror Mountain

Building

Mirror Mountain is a residential building located in Zhubei, facing Wenren Street, with a nearly square base. The architect Shen Tingtseng has planned six buildings with two types of residential units, A and B. The design of the interiors covers security, convenience, privacy, and interactive spaces, considering the needs of local families and natural conditions.

The architectural planning originated from the basic setting of a double-salary family with two cars in the Zhubei area. Facing the atrium, the first floor of the B-unit is designed to accommodate two cars and the stairs are placed near the middle so that the family can enter the heart of the home efficiently. Following the stairs, the second floor is the living room and dining room, the heart of the family. The staircase is located between these two spaces, allowing them to be separate and open, thus creating a circular movement to enhance spatial interaction. The dining room has become increasingly important in modern life, not only for dining, but also as a space to have tea and snacks while working or reading. The architects raised two floors here and brought in abundant warm sunlight in the vertical space, allowing the sunlight to permeate the walls and reflect the passage of time. While drawing in the light, the staircase connects the living room and the mezzanine next to the ceiling area, and between the slightly staggered floor plates, the light and delicate light grey balustrade connects the whole building with a moment of life.

The exterior of the residence, the first-floor staircase of the original fair-faced concrete, is laughingly described by the architect as a staircase to enter the space capsule and a foot that grows out from the ground to support the building. On the second floor, a 2.2-meter-high floor-to-ceiling door is the window view, which slightly raises the height of the threshold and, together with the eaves, reveals the intimate and private ceremonial atmosphere of the home. The box-shaped volume outside the terrace creates a patio-like bathroom space and conceals the original abrupt structural beams. From the second floor up, there are balconies in the front and back of the house and in every room. When you step outside, you can breathe in the fresh air and feel the warm sun. Although the distance between the buildings in the community is only 6.6 meters, the independence and freedom of the house can still be maintained.

Facing the road, the A-unit type, with the horizontal drive of the width, the staircase turns from the bottom of the space to the second floor and moves to the center of the space. The dining room and kitchen maintain a 6-meter ceiling, also retaining a fresh and bright core space. Up to the third floor, the staircase moves to the bottom, linking the upper and lower spaces horizontally. Mirror Mountain comes from the continuous construction of the building's plan like 目 and the overlooking shape of the two-way mirror. The staircase, which was often neglected in the past, is integrated into the spatial structure of this project to strengthen the transforming power of the "inside" of the house, that is, to climb upwards in the style of a "mountain" to create a free movement, creating a choice of independence for the individual and making the home more desirable. All these designs give emotion to the residential space and enrich the family life.The contrast of light and darkness through the walls is one of the advantages that make the space fascinating. "A house should not be given only an outer shell". The architects talk about design thinking and extend it to residential architecture planning, successfully bringing life through the interior space, and leading to the possibility of good architecture.

「目目裏山」為座落竹北的住宅建築作品，面鄰文仁街，基地近似正方形，沈庭增建築師以六幢建築，A、B兩種住宅戶型為規劃。考量當地家庭生活需求及自然條件，涵蓋了居住安全性、便利性、隱私，以及饒富互動的室內空間設計。

建築規劃起源於竹北地區多半為雙薪家庭、擁有兩部車的基本設定。面向中庭的B戶型，一樓以停放兩部車為題，將樓梯安排接近置中，以應對上樓後，有效率地直入家庭核心。拾級而上，二樓是家庭核心的客廳與餐廳，樓梯居於兩者之中，既獨立且開放的區隔，衍生出可循環動線提升空間互動。餐廳在現代生活裡，除了用餐之餘，亦時常是工作、閱讀時喝茶、吃點零食的空間，因此顯得越趨重要，建築師在此處設計挑高兩個樓層，垂直空間引入充沛暖陽，光漫著牆面，徐徐領會時間的變化。引光之餘，樓梯連結著客廳，以及挑空區旁夾層，些許錯落的樓板之間，隨著輕巧細膩的淺灰色欄杆串連起整幢建築的生活片刻。

住宅外觀，原生清水混凝土的一樓樓梯，建築師笑稱像是進入太空艙的階梯，也像是一隻從地上長出來，站著支撐建築的腳。二樓，一口一口的窗景，是總高2.2公尺的落地門，稍微抬高門檻高度，搭配屋簷展現家空間親切且保有隱私的儀式氛圍，露台外的盒狀量體，打造天井般衛浴空間，同時也隱蔽了原突兀的結構梁。二樓以上，住宅前後、每處房間皆有陽台，走出室外，呼吸新鮮空氣感受暖陽，雖然社區棟距僅有6.6公尺，仍能保有住宅的獨立與自由。

面向道路的A戶型，隨著面寬的橫向帶動，樓梯從空間底部轉向二樓移居至空間中心，餐廳、廚房6公尺的挑空，同樣保有清爽明亮的核心空間。上至三樓，樓梯則移向底部，水平式的上下連結各處空間。「目目裏山」的由來，以建築連續構造的平面格局如「目」，且兩向鏡射的俯瞰造型得來；過去時常被忽略的樓梯於本案融入空間結構，強化住宅「裏」部的轉換力，繞「山」式的向上拾級，形塑自由動線為個體創造選擇性的獨立，使家屋更值得令人有所期許，為住宅空間賦予情感，豐富了家庭生活。

光線經由牆面進退而生的明暗對比，是空間之所以著迷的優勢之一。「住宅，不應只有給一個外殼」建築師談著設計思維，延伸到住宅建築規劃，成功地藉由內部空間帶動生活，領會出建築好的可能性。

沈庭增建築師事務所  |  Shentingtseng Architects

www.shentingtseng.com.tw/