Qingpu's boutique homestay, Rongju·Shagang, recently received an Honorable Mention in the Architecture-Living Space category at the 2024 LIV Hospitality Design Awards. It is the only boutique homestay project in the Yangtze River Delta region of China to receive this honor in this category.

Additionally, the Rongju·Shagang project stood out from thousands of entries from over 100 countries at the 2024 American International Design Awards. It won the Bronze Award in the Commercial Renovation / Adaptive Re-use category, becoming the only boutique homestay project in the Yangtze River Delta region to win in the renovation category.

Located in Shagang Village, Jinze Town, Rongju·Shagang was formerly a long-standing shoe factory, covering an area of about 2,200 square meters. As an idle asset with collective rural memory, it has been thoughtfully redesigned and revitalized into a pastoral complex that blends rural natural aesthetics with contemporary lifestyle. Its functions include a reception hall, café, restaurant, audio-visual room, chess room, nine loft guest rooms, and two suites, with a total building area of about 1,000 square meters.

The redesign, carried out by Dedang Design, focuses on creating a space that is both site-specific and physically engaging. One of the first considerations was how to integrate the building into the rural setting while distinguishing it from its surroundings.

The architecture retains the original layout of the shoe factory and uses materials typical of Jiangnan rural architecture, such as white walls, gray tiles, and sloped roofs, with a natural beige paint as the main tone.

The roof is made from local small green tiles. The walls are constructed using rammed earth elements from traditional architecture, creating a striking visual impact against the vast rice fields and offering a rough yet delicate texture. The interior design emphasizes natural and rustic themes, using high-quality natural stone, wood, and cotton-linen fabrics to create a warm and comfortable atmosphere, evoking a sense of "familiar unfamiliarity."