“Near-Zero Carbon" Community Center in Nanjing

The Nanjing Community Centre is a near-zero carbon facility that anchors a new residential development in Jiangbei New District, China. Designed as a social and cultural hub, the project uses wood not only for its sustainability benefits but also to create a warm, inviting atmosphere that reflects the spirit of community. Its structure relies extensively on prefabricated timber components, including glulam beams, trusses, and wood studs with plywood panels, paired with a concrete foundation. This hybrid structural system supports a wide range of public functions—from a ground-floor community lounge to a stepped outdoor amphitheatre—while minimizing the environmental impact of construction through offsite fabrication and rapid assembly. 
 
One of the building’s most striking features is its “Urban Forest” canopy—an expressive series of tree-like timber columns that support a dramatic, undulating roof form. This structural gesture does more than evoke the natural environment; it also integrates a large-scale photovoltaic array capable of generating 269,000 kWh of clean energy annually. The integration of solar panels and wood structure not only defines the project’s architectural character but also positions it as a model for net-zero-ready public infrastructure. The roof’s dynamic profile resembles a low-lying hill or “Energy Mountain,” merging natural metaphor with technical function to create a signature element in the local skyline. 
 
Wood plays a significant role in both exterior and interior detailing. Vertical wooden louvers wrap the facade, providing sun shading while maintaining daylight access in winter. Indoors, exposed tree-like timber structures continue the architectural theme, enhanced by bamboo flooring and wooden plank partitions that emphasize continuity between spaces. Junction details have been meticulously designed to express the structural logic of timber construction, offering visual clarity and architectural richness. Altogether, the centre demonstrates how mass timber and hybrid wood systems can elevate performance, aesthetics, and community identity in a single integrated design.