Shanghai, China, 2003.

This upscale housing estate in western Shanghai has two elements: apartments and single-family homes. The latter is rare in China, a country where the vast majority of the urban population lives in small apartments. Our apartment blocks here, though, are luxurious by Chinese standards, with open air balconies and wide floor-to-ceiling windows that provide ample light and offer extensive views. Lying in the shadow of these apartments is a series of single-family homes arranged as rows of attached units. The residences hearken to the traditional Chinese Si He Yuan, or courtyard. Within each unit, interior spaces are framed around courtyards and traditional proportions and details—such as roofing and exterior doors—are updated and brought to life through the use of contemporary forms. The Parkview residences are distinctly Chinese homes that are both beautiful and spacious, in a context that often lacks both private space and luxury.