The existence of a pass between two hills inspired the design of this house as a pipe, which can be seen at the specific point where it emerges from one slope to then disappear into the next. The house is actually conceived as a fragment of that piping system, accesed via a transversal incision carried out in the middle, where it has a light stairway linked to the ground. A horizontal platform makes the pipe inhabitable, concealing the systems underneath. The remaining functions (sleeping, eating, washing, watching television or resting) are possible here thanks to the tables, beds, bath or closet that unfold from its curved walls.

The house is a song of praise to the pipe and to the interior space – paradise – that is generated within, symbolizing both the supremacy of man over nature and his lack of concern for it. ‘Ye’ means at the same time initiation and heritage, occupation and possession, proclaiming also a union of mind, language and body; whereas ‘guan’ speaks of the presence of a tiny center with a thin and strong perimeter. The two of them together represent an architectural typology – megastructure and minimal unit – that is technological, rational and organic... [+]