Applied in a courtyard house is an installation of an immersive journey that explored ideas of the past, present and future living needs and the meaning of 'home', during Beijing Design week 2016.

future living

'I was here' focused on your relationship with 'home', emphasizing the interaction of people, space and time. Devised as an immersive exploration within a courtyard house where no one person would have the same experience. In the past, hutong court yard houses shared some spaces of 'home' out of necessity. Today people urge for more defined private spaces. In the near future the need for more agile homes will lead to actively shared living spaces.

'I was here' challenged you to make the space your own and reflect on your place and role in this living space, led by a mirrored path that blurs boundaries and redefines private and public space. It introduces three themes - 'find', 'attract' and 'layer' - to guide you through the experience. Find: Your place in the given environment. Attract: How you influence the space. Layer: The accumulative memory you leave.

'I was here' followed the earlier renovation of this courtyard by Crossboundaries, part of a greater program in the 4th and 5th Caochang Hutong area initiated by Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD). Crossboundaries, having successfully completed the renovation, were selected as one of 6 studios for this exhibition 'Real Existence', sponsored by Tianjie Group and BIAD as part of Beijing Design Week 2016.