Established in 2017, Hapitat Architects is a Beijing-based multidisciplinary design studio founded by Li Weihan (alumnus of the Technical University of Munich's School of Architecture, Germany) and Xiao Luran (graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne, Australia). As an open collaborative team, the studio places ecological and social sustainability at the heart of its practice.
Guided by a design philosophy rooted in locality and openness, Hapitat Architects prioritizes the dynamic interplay between space and time, emphasizing how design actively engages with the evolving context of a site. Their work explores the enduring transformation of environments, advocating for solutions that remain sensitive to both natural and societal narratives.
By adopting an objective yet progressive approach to environmental construction, the studio bridges the relationship between nature and human communities. Their methodology focuses on incremental, context-driven interventions that foster resilience and adaptability, ensuring designs remain responsive to the ever-changing fabric of landscapes and societies.
Hapitat’s projects reflect a commitment to creating spaces that harmonize ecological integrity with cultural relevance, redefining sustainability as an active dialogue between place, people, and time.
Email:
hapi-tat@outlook.com
Add:
Yinghua East Rd,Chaoyang District
Beijing,China
ProjectsWeCreateHapiNews!About Us
Substation Gallery, BEIJING
电站美术馆，北京
Occupying 600 square meters with three buildings and two courtyards, the Substation Gallery was transformed from a village substation that once served local residents. The site's unique position at the village entrance carries symbolic significance—much like the traditional big tree that historically marked rural gathering points. With its open courtyards and vernacular aesthetic, the completed gallery feels familiar rather than alien to villagers, becoming a public space organically rooted in its context. From the outset, the design strategy consciously avoided monumentality. Instead, it adopted a humble posture—a spatial manifestation of collaborative efforts between village administrators, local residents, and architects. The gallery emerged as a starting point for community interaction and a demonstration of possibilities. It represents the first step toward cultivating new local identities and potentials—not as a memorial structure, but as an open invitation for gathering, illustrating how context-sensitive architecture can gradually strengthen the relationship between people and place.
电站美术馆位于平谷鱼子山村村口，占地600平米。美术馆的出现是对村庄节奏的安静回应，由废弃的小变电站改造后，成为村口的文化中心。保留了老房子的历史记忆，同时加入现代化的功能，创造一个村民聚会，开展乡村文化活动的场所。 这个画廊不会宏伟壮观，而是一种姿态，由乡村管理者、村民和建筑师并肩工作的共同努力而产生的空间。电站美术馆成为一个起点，一种与社区互动并展示可能性的方式，是一个让人们聚集的邀请，展示了建筑在现场设计的情况下，如何慢慢在加强人与地方之间的关系。
- Area: 600 sqm
- Year of Completion: 2023
- Client: Shandongzhuang Government
- Events: CCE Curatorial Center
- Location: Beijing, China