The project is a campus building for the Chinese electronic commerce giant Alibaba, as part of their ongoing investment in tech start-ups. The proposal acts as a self-contained business incubator and academy that provides support in the form of workspaces, lecture theatres, meeting rooms, outdoor recreational areas, accommodation and a canteen.

Strategically located in Wuchang wetland, west of Hangzhou city centre, the proposal is within close proximity to the existing Alibaba headquarters. Once an important economic and environmental part of the Zhejiang waterscape, the wetland is disappearing due to rapid urbanisation. In recent years, the area has undergone major restoration and the proposal aims to strike a balance between nature and development.

The proposal sits on the edge of an artificially created pond that connects to existing waterways in order to reintroduce an area of wetland to the landscape. Water is used to cool computers that facilitate the automation of the architecture, which is in turn used for heating, before finally being released back into the cool waterways.