XUPIN: A Zen-Inspired, Ecological Office Design

Jiang Guoxing's Award-Winning Design Fuses Nature with Workplace

Jiang Guoxing, the mastermind behind XUPIN, was driven by a desire to create an office space where employees could enjoy themselves and love their job. He wanted to replace the pungent smell of paint with the fresh, pure scent of nature, and the dull atmosphere of the office with the wonders and interests of natural elements. The result is an office design that feels more like a retreat into nature than a place of work.

What sets XUPIN apart is its integration of original ecological Zen studies into the design. The use of old boards instead of traditional emulsion paint and wallpaper, the green second-hand hollowed-out wooden windows as partitions in the meeting room, and the simple, elegant bamboo decorating the hall ceiling, all contribute to a more thoughtful and intellectual working space. These unique properties also highlight the theme of environmental protection that is central to the design.

The realization of this design was a challenge in itself. The materials used are simple, some of which are recovered and reused. The main materials include black floor tile, tile, old board, tenuous bamboo, and black metal tube. The design aims to create a scene of Jiangnan Watertown, with the black floor tiles making the feeling of being on the water more lifelike. Withered wood, reeds, and straw are used to enhance the feeling of being in a simple and unadorned country.

The project, located in the beautiful city of Kunshan, started in September 2016 and was completed in December 2016. The design team, including LI Haiyang, Wang Qing, Shan Fubin, Zhong Jianmin, Sun Xiaoya, and Ran Qiao, faced challenges in sourcing second-hand materials and performing preservation processes and anticorrosive treatments on the materials.

Despite these challenges, the XUPIN project has been widely recognized for its innovative and thoughtful design. It was awarded the Golden A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award in 2018, a prestigious accolade granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. These are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.

In conclusion, Jiang Guoxing's XUPIN project is more than just an office design. It's a statement about the power of simplicity, the importance of environmental consciousness, and the potential for workplaces to be spaces of inspiration and intellectual growth. It's a testament to the fact that design can indeed change the way we live and work.