Text description provided by the architects. Located in Guanzihe Village, Qianlong Town, An Yue County, Sichuan, the project site was once home to several large pig farms decades ago, now all abandoned. The predecessor of the Agricultural Talent Center was a veterinary station serving these farms. The main building’s ground floor constructed with traditional dry-stacked local stone. The second floor of the main building and an adjacent single-story annex, added over 20 years ago with brick-concrete structures, had partially collapsed.
Lemons are the most iconic industry of An Yue, and Guanzihe Villagehas become a demonstration zone for balancing grain production and lemon cultivation. What sets the Agricultural Talent Center apart is its focus on serving the local industry, farmers, and future agricultural professionals who will settle in the area. As the “gateway” to the agricultural park, the building must embody a strong sense of local identity and visibility. While aesthetics are important, cost control remains a critical consideration in its construction.
Following an on-site survey of the former veterinary station, we decided to demolish the structurally compromised brickwork on the second floor of the main building, as well as the severely collapsed annex. The ground floor of the main building, constructed with rubble stone masonry, was preserved. A new steel and timber structure was inserted to enable rapid construction of the Rural Talent Center.In just 57 days, the entire veterinary station was completely revitalized and transformed into a vibrant community hub.
From the outset, we conducted thorough research into the construction team’s capabilities, availability of materials in the surrounding area, and the technical capacity of local processing workshops. The design planning was then tailored accordingly. Some of the elderly yet still able-bodied villagers had actually helped build the original veterinary station decades ago. The dry-stone masonry on the ground floor was entrusted to these few remaining craftsmen, allowing us to witness a scene reminiscent of an era when stone houses were built entirely by hand. The crisp tapping of hand hammers striking stone, accompanied by the rhythmic work chants of the old masons, imbued the construction with a moving sense of history and craftsmanship.
The undulating curved roofline of the main building and agricultural shed was inspired by the seedling greenhouses scattered throughout nearby farmland. The dark gray roof, flowing in rhythmic waves, evokes the contours of surrounding hills —free-spirited and dynamic. It completely transformed the formerly dull massing of the original buildings and became a distinct landmark in the village. The roof of the agricultural shed, with its varied heights, was also cleverly designed to accommodate the spatial needs of different types of farming machinery. To keep costs low, reduce construction complexity, and accelerate progress, the shed’s roof was made from standard fir planks, which were charred, cleaned, and sealed with protective varnish. The roof of the main building used a traditional timber truss system common in Sichuan, topped with small gray tiles.
The countryside, in our memory, is always a kaleidoscope of colors—from the wildflowers and fruits that bloom across the seasons. Guanzihe Village is known for its abundant lemon harvests. During picking season, the hills are dotted with joyful bursts of yellow. The creation of the Rural Talent Center was meant to inject new life and vibrancy into the village, and we introduced the lemon-yellow color, representing the village’s signature crop, as a key visual element in the center’s spatial design. This yellow evokes freshness, vitality, and calm. This splash of yellow stretches from the curving eaves across the staircases and corridors connecting the main building. It visually and functionally ties together the center’s key programmatic elements: the agricultural equipment shed, the “Craft & Nature” maker space, and the multipurpose hall. The lemon yellow acts as a guide throughout the circulation path. As night falls, the yellow glows even more vividly under the lights, like a lantern in the dark, its warm brightness illuminates the village entrance, and we hope it will continue to light the way forward for Guanzihe Village.
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Cite: “An Yue Qianlong·Guanzihe Village Agricultural Talent Center / Archermit” 24 Apr 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed .
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