The family room features a green roof, allowing garden access from the upper floor spaces.

Upstairs, a large master suite is located above the public entertaining spaces. The suite includes a large private living room, a study, and his and her bath suites. Positioned to the south is a linear terrace affording views of the park and river.

These planning strategies were used for all villas yet plans were varied to meet differing lot configurations.

Hu Zhou Riverside is an exclusive neighborhood of six villas. Comprised of three plan types, the villas are a contemporary interpretation of the traditional courtyard villa, a form strongly associated with domestic life throughout China's history. Important site considerations included the need to provide privacy from high-rise towers to the north, the need to vary floor plans due to differing lot configurations, the requirement that all major rooms be oriented to the south, the client specification that each villa have a private, secured auto court, and the desire for extensive gardens integrated with the villa layout.

The design of the villas required that they function at two distinct scales, one being to accommodate large numbers for corporate entertaining and the other to accommodate the needs of the owner's family. As such, the villa designs evolved into two parallel structures bordering an internal courtyard. Corporate public functions are placed to the north, adjacent to the entry auto court. This large volume is enclosed with abundant glazing facing south and defined by a structural frame of stone columns. To the south is an extensive terrace, which in turn expands into a lower courtyard enjoyed by the lower floor spaces. Necessary service functions are aligned to the north side of the entertaining area.

The private family structure is located to the south of the central courtyard but is lower by two meters from the large entertaining spaces. Thus privacy for the family and enhanced integration of family spaces with private gardens is assured. A family room acts as the link between the public and private structures and enjoys views into the central courtyard.