Ningde Times Zero-Carbon Tea House: Sustainable Wisdom / HATCH Hanqi Architecture

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“A truly meaningful "zero-carbon building" ”
A true Zero-Carbon building To address the global climate crisis and promote China's achievement of its "dual carbon" goals, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), a world-leading innovative technology company in the field of new energy batteries, after achieving brilliant achievements in the field of new energy batteries, has focused its attention on building a green, intelligent, and livable urban environment. With the proposal of the "zero-carbon new infrastructure" concept, a grand chapter that will rewrite the fate of mankind is quietly unfolding.

In November 2024, the Xiadang Zero-Carbon Demonstration Base, meticulously crafted by HATCH Hanqi Architecture for CATL, was officially unveiled in Xiadang Township, Shouning County, Ningde City, Fujian Province. This innovative work consists of the "Ningde Tea" zero-carbon tea house and a smart charging station with light storage and charging and discharging functions, showcasing the harmonious coexistence of technology and nature, and injecting new vitality and hope into rural revitalization. The ingenious design is endless like a Möbius strip, hidden in every detail, leading to infinite possibilities in the future.

Wei Hongtao's design concept sketch, the sustainable Möbius strip

Part · 1 The Sustainable Path of Permanence
Since ancient times, the farming and reading civilization based on rural areas has contained the wisdom of cyclical sustainability: from the mode of production to the way of life, from the cycle of nature to the reincarnation of life, every link reflects the beautiful vision of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. In Xiadang Township, CATL, with its attitude of embracing the future, cleverly combines the zero-carbon tea house with the sustainable cultural context that has flowed for thousands of years, demonstrating the path of sustainable development in the new era. HATCH, with its futuristic architectural style and forward-looking design concepts, embodies abstract concepts, vividly presenting them to the world.

The design inspiration for the zero-carbon tea house comes from the Möbius strip, which symbolizes the philosophical thought of cyclical repetition. Unlike passive energy-saving technologies, this project actively empowers buildings by introducing advanced new energy and intelligent interconnected technologies.

The entire building uses BIPV (Building-Integrated Photovoltaics) materials and technologies to achieve full-cycle green electricity direct supply within a limited space. The photovoltaic panels laid on the roof are precisely fitted to the roof curve, like calculus, making the entire building more coordinated in appearance. The building's exterior extensively uses ultra-white glass and UHPC (Ultra-High-Performance Concrete), ensuring a transparent view and sufficient lighting while effectively reducing energy consumption.

Meanwhile, the smart charging station with light storage and charging and discharging functions located at the foot of the mountain, in addition to providing basic charging services, also has a vehicle-grid bidirectional interaction function, which can achieve reverse power discharge from electric vehicles to the tea house, maximizing the use of electricity resources. According to calculations, the tea house's annual power generation is about 55,000 kWh, reducing about 54.8 tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to planting 3,000 trees. This is not only a quiet place of rest but also a perfect fusion of modern technology and natural aesthetics.
Part · 2   Harmony and Unity in Opposition
The Möbius strip not only symbolizes endless cycles but also reveals the universal connection of the world and the possibility of unity and mutual transformation between opposites. In Xiadang Township, this wondrous geometric shape cleverly connects two seemingly disparate things.

Unlike conventional rural construction methods, the zero-carbon tea house built by HATCH is like an "extraterrestrial object," forming a stark contrast with the surrounding villages in terms of materials, colors, textures, and shapes. However, when people slowly walk into the building along the winding mountain road and then reach the roof along the spiral upward walking route, they will feel a wonderful harmony.

The tea house is divided into two floors, with tea drinking areas, tea art exchange areas, and sightseeing and leisure areas, each with excellent views. HATCH uses a simple design language, a flexible spatial layout, and carefully arranged lighting and soft furnishings to create an elegant and comfortable atmosphere.
Elegant curves run through the entire space, perfectly blending architecture and interior design to ensure the unity of the overall design.

Although it forms a sharp contrast with the surrounding environment in terms of design language and architectural form, the zero-carbon tea house is truly integrated into the daily lives of local villagers, while also making visitors who come here linger. Through panoramic floor-to-ceiling glass, villagers and tourists appreciate each other, becoming scenery for one another.

The zero-carbon dining space under the photovoltaic roof is like a hidden paradise. The kitchen uses green electricity for cooking. Compared with traditional liquefied gas, not only is the electricity cost reduced by 25%, but the heating time is shortened by 50%, greatly improving energy use efficiency. Surrounded by mountains, enjoying a zero-carbon hot pot, you can feel the gifts of nature and the beauty of harmonious coexistence.

Part · 3   Conclusion
Since the opening of the zero-carbon tea house, "Going to Xiadang Township to drink black tea" has sparked a new trend of zero-carbon living online, and Xiadang Township has become a newly popular online check-in destination. Wei Hongtao, founder of HATCH, said: "The zero-carbon tea house is by no means an ordinary internet-famous building; it is like a sophisticated connector, closely linking the surrounding villages, distant mountains, sustainable energy technology, visitor experiences, and the lives of villagers, creating a beautiful and shared picture of sustainable mountain living."

It can be said that the successful practice of the zero-carbon tea house has ushered in a new era of sustainable development. This green energy, like the sparks of "zero-carbon new infrastructure," starts from the Xiadang Zero-Carbon Demonstration Base and gradually spreads to various scenarios such as "zero-carbon tea gardens," "zero-carbon tea factories," and "zero-carbon agriculture." These zero-carbon projects, like trickling streams, converge into the magnificent rivers of "zero-carbon islands," "zero-carbon cities," and "zero-carbon villages," eventually flowing into the grand vision of "zero-carbon Earth," together composing a future hymn of sustainable ecology.

Project Information

Project Name: "Ningde Tea" Xiadang Zero-Carbon Tea House

Design Firm: HATCH Hanqi Architecture

Client: CATL

Project Address: Xiadang Township, Ningde City, Fujian Province

Building area: 467㎡

Completion year: 2024

Lead Architect: Wei Hongtao

Project Architect: Zhao Danjing

Architectural and Interior Design Team: Gan Ji, Lu Huiqin, Wang Qian, Wu Jichen, Zhang Yuchao, Song Zhizhen, Yang Ying, Duan Jingjing, Huang Pinyang (Intern)

Structural and MEP Design Team: Wang Haiping, Chen Hao, Tang Wei, Li Yanzi

Curtain Wall Designer: Su Li

Lighting Designer: Ni Jianmin

Main materials: UHPC, glass curtain wall, photovoltaic glass

Photovoltaic glass supplier: Longyan Energy Technology (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd.

UHPC supplier: Wuhu Dingfu Landscape Materials Co., Ltd.

Photography: Tian Fangfang

Article writing: Linda Jiang Construction team: Fujian Guanyunxin Construction Engineering Co., Ltd.