This Chinese house blends minimalism and red accents
Red Box is a house in China that combines calm, clean, minimalism with red accents and a geometric exterior, courtesy of local practice AD Architecture

Ouyang Yun - Photography
A minimalist aesthetic of clean surfaces and neutral, light colours blends with red accents in this Chinese house in Xinxi Town. The project, a new-build family residence in the heart of the city’s Zhongsanhe Village, a bustling area that retains a traditional feel, is the brainchild of Chinese practice AD Architecture. Named Red Box, the house is a geometric composition that resembles an architectural Tetris game from the outside, while revealing a haven of calm inside.
Combining red split bricks and white matt tiles, the house features an eye-catching façade that cuts a clean, contemporary figure among its neighbours. Spanning seven floors, the residence also includes retail on the ground floor and a commercial space above this. The home occupies the composition’s upper levels, enjoying long views of the cityscape.
Inside, the sense of serenity and domestic calm is underlined by the use of cool, natural materials in neutral colour tones. There is a white marble floor in the living room and dining area, while the bedrooms and family room are clad in milky-white paint and wood veneers that add warmth to the whole. Meanwhile, red accents in the bespoke kitchen cabinetry and among the furniture – such as the distinctive sofas in the living space – subtly echo the exterior red brick wall.
Part of the architects’ goal was to create something that feels entirely tailormade to the residents’ needs, instead of mimicking surrounding architecture. AD Architecture’s chief designer Xie Peihe, a local to Xinxi Town, felt the need to challenge the local norm. ‘[I wanted] to explore new possibilities of connecting the present and the future,’ he says, ‘breaking and redefining the status quo, while retaining the intimate relationship between people and architecture.
‘[Eventually, the design] may not represent a sea change, but it does make a difference to the residents’ lives,’ he adds. ‘And it is a process I enjoy.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
ICON 4x4 goes EV, giving their classic Bronco-based restomod an electric twist
The EV Bronco is ICON 4x4’s first foray into electrifying its range of bespoke vintage off-roaders and SUVs
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
‘Dressed to Impress’ captures the vivid world of everyday fashion in the 1950s and 1960s
A new photography book from The Anonymous Project showcases its subjects when they’re dressed for best, posing for events and celebrations unknown
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Inside Camperlab’s Harry Nuriev-designed Paris store, a dramatic exercise in contrast
The Crosby Studios founder tells Wallpaper* the story behind his new store design for Mallorcan shoe brand Camperlab, which centres on an interplay between ‘crushed concrete’ and gleaming industrial design
By Jack Moss Published
-
Bold, geometric minimalism rules at Toteme’s new store by Herzog & de Meuron in China
Toteme launches a bold, monochromatic new store in Beijing – the brand’s first in China – created by Swiss architecture masters Herzog & de Meuron
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The upcoming Zaha Hadid Architects projects set to transform the horizon
A peek at Zaha Hadid Architects’ future projects, which will comprise some of the most innovative and intriguing structures in the world
By Anna Solomon Published
-
Liu Jiakun wins 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize: explore the Chinese architect's work
Liu Jiakun, 2025 Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate, is celebrated for his 'deep coherence', quality and transcendent architecture
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Explore a minimalist, non-religious ceremony space in the Baja California Desert
Spiritual Enclosure, a minimalist, non-religious ceremony space designed by Ruben Valdez in Mexico's Baja California Desert, offers flexibility and calm
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Zaha Hadid Architects reveals plans for a futuristic project in Shaoxing, China
The cultural and arts centre looks breathtakingly modern, but takes cues from the ancient history of Shaoxing
By Anna Solomon Published
-
The Hengqin Culture and Art Complex is China’s newest cultural megastructure
Atelier Apeiron’s Hengqin Culture and Art Complex strides across its waterside site on vast arches, bringing a host of facilities and public spaces to one of China’s most rapidly urbanising areas
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The World Monuments Fund has announced its 2025 Watch – here are some of the endangered sites on the list
Every two years, the World Monuments Fund creates a list of 25 monuments of global significance deemed most in need of restoration. From a modernist icon in Angola to the cultural wreckage of Gaza, these are the heritage sites highlighted
By Anna Solomon Published
-
Tour Xi'an's remarkable new 'human-centred' shopping district with designer Thomas Heatherwick
Xi'an district by Heatherwick Studio, a 115,000 sq m retail development in the Chinese city, opens this winter. Thomas Heatherwick talks us through its making and ambition
By David Plaisant Published