在一間近八十年的老穀倉中置入一個具現代感的咖啡店，會是怎樣的氛圍與想像？
屏東竹田因舊時碾米廠林立，而有「頓物」之舊地名。而當地閒置荒廢多年的「德興碾米廠」則是地方重要的歷史資產，保有珍貴的鄉土藝術家壁畫以及早年穀倉作業的歷史痕跡，但在政府有限的修繕財源下，老建物漸走向凋零衰敗命運。爾後，建物產權經私人業主買下，計畫改造既有穀倉建築做為結合咖啡與展覽之空間使用，期能保留時光記憶卻也能賦予新生命；讓建物有「養活自己」的能力，就能讓老建物延續生命與重生。由於德興碾米廠位置與歷史背景特殊，穀倉改造計畫的啟動更背負了活化在地文化與記憶傳承的意義使命。
基於預算及空間需求考量，我們不以原樣修復方式處理，而提出Box-In-Box的改造概念，並透過穀倉空間舉辦模型與圖面展覽方式，與地方鄉親溝通非典型設計提案；我們希望維持穀倉空間的歷史質感，在完全保留既有穀倉鋼結構與磚造外牆的原則下，置入一個新的空間量體。新建築的雙斜屋頂是對於舊穀倉形式的回應，入口處刻意脫開量體，退讓出天光撒下的虛空間，將視覺線性引導至後棟穀倉。新舊結構脫離錯置的設計，讓建築的新建行為是可逆的，也使穀倉建築保有了未來施作原樣修復的可能性，而產生了新與舊的空間對話。新建築量體與舊牆脫開，創造出可引入光線、植物及碎石的隙景空間，穀倉空間有了更多的虛實層次；舊有的磚牆質感反射織映在現代的玻璃框景之上；新舊鋼結構交錯界定出遊走路徑，也圍塑了一幅層疊歷史、現代與自然的生活風景。
What sort of vibe and imagery would we get if we place a contemporary café into a nearly eighty-year-old warehouse?
Jutian, Pingtung was once called “Dùnwù”（storing） due to the amount of rice mills around the area. The Dexing Rice Mill is particularly important because of its historical significance, its mural paintings, and the trace of the traditional rice milling work. The long abandoned building had been aging badly due to the lack of government funding, but has now received a second life with its new private owner. The idea is to modify the old warehouse into a mixed-use space with gallery and café. This allows memories to be well preserved while revitalizing the building for it to sustain itself. Due to its critical location and historical context, the restoration project is more than just the repairing of the building. It is the revival of a local cultural inheritance.
Based on the spatial requirement and budget, we proposed a box-in-box concept instead of restoring it to its original state. We displayed our design proposal within the warehouse and welcomed the local community’s feedbacks. The idea is to preserve the historical context within the space along with its steel structures and brick walls while inserting a new mass to create a dialogue between the old and the new.
The double inclined roof is a response to the traditional warehouse. The entrance is intentionally detached and setback from the main massing to allow lighting to pour in and become a negative space. It also creates a visual transparency to the second warehouse at the back.
This new addition has a separate structural system allowing easy adaptation to any future restoration. With the old and the new space separated from each other, the building would have more layers of negative and positive spaces, which allow us to create interstitial spaces with lighting, vegetation, and pebbles. The reflections of old brick walls on the modern glass frame and the circulation path woven by the old and new structures create a new kind of scenery with layers of history, modernity, and nature in it.