Volume Courtyard Part 1 Project 2013 Shunhe Wen Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University | China My ideal modern apartment is like the SiHeYuan’s typology. People who live in there could participate in lots of social activities. This kind of social interaction can enhance the relationship between residents, which depends on its unique building form - the Courtyard.Nowadays, in China, most apartments are like boxes, almost no space for social interaction between families. So, people some may never even see or meet each other, even though they live in the same floor. Usually, people stay in their own houses, hardly interact or communicate with neighbours. What I want, is change this phenomenon in China, enhancing social interaction between residents.In my design, I combine these two forms together, the courtyard and the Chinese typical apartment. As a result, interesting space is created by configuring the flats organization. Several families could share an area, which could be the social space, resting area or corridor connecting with other places. At the same time, on the border of each floor, several little balconies are created by two houses facing different directions. Shunhe Wen Tutor(s) Nancy Diniz Claudia Westermann