[Paper Architecture] — New Construction Project for the Youth Road Multi-Purpose Parking Garage (Parking Lot E8), East District, Tainan City

We are quite fond of this work, despite not having been awarded the commission.

This marked our second collaboration with Shih-Cheng Yang Architects & Associates, and we are grateful for the dedication of everyone on the team. Although we were not selected, our confidence in the design remains steadfast.

In this project, we focused on two primary questions:

First, what should a multi-story parking garage look like on this section of Youth Road?

Second, how should the two large banyan trees on the site be handled?

To us, the answers were straightforward.

Our first answer was that the new structure should not be "designed for the sake of design" (especially regarding the facade); it should be fresh, timeless, and understated. We wanted it to play its role well by maintaining the continuity and integrity of the streetscape, while subtly referencing the site's history through the imagery of slanted roofs from the former dormitories.

While our design principles were clear, choosing an "unobtrusive" strategy for a competition was admittedly a calculated risk.

Our second answer was that the goal of preserving the banyan trees was not merely to "save" them, but to provide optimal conditions for their long-term health. Therefore, we preserved one tree in situ, leaving ample space for its canopy and root system to expand, while the other was transplanted within the site to ensure it also had sufficient room to thrive.

The space reserved for the trees is, in essence, space reserved for people; the banyans and their respective environments form a courtyard for the community center, serving as a lush buffer between the site and adjacent residences.

To sincerely respond to the city and its streets, parking functions, and the banyan tree that has long been rooted here.

The design solution is, in fact, simple.

Note: There were eight architectural teams bidding for this project, making for fierce competition. In retrospect, while these are now just quiet reflections, we still admire how this project asked clear questions and provided sincere architectural answers.