Baiziwan Social Housing (later referred to as Baiziwan) is the first affordable housing project by MAD Architects, led by Ma Yansong. Situated near the CBD (central business district) in Beijing, the project covers an area of 93,900 square meters, with a total construction area of 473,300 square meters. The scheme is comprised of 12 residential buildings collectively providing 4000 households. MAD’s strategy strives to integrate the community into the urban fabric and connect the neighborhood with the city. MAD divided the plot into six blocks, anchored by the main avenue cutting through the center of the site. The large site is fragmented into a much smaller human scale. At the street level, the scheme’s central avenue is home to a range of commercial and convenience spaces, such as shops, cafes, restaurants, kindergartens, pharmacies, bookstores, and elder care facilities. The arterial route through the center of the scheme fosters connections between the neighborhood and the city

The project is a culmination of Ma Yansong’s extensive research into social housing, which began in 2014. Under the thematic topic “The Sociality of Social Housing,” MAD’s research focuses on the historical development and design of social housing across different countries. MAD saw the commission as an opportunity to improve the living conditions of low-income communities and introduce a fresh perspective to the current dull residential design image in China.

Since its completion, almost 3000 families have moved in.