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Looking forthe most recentMini Crossword answer?Click here for today's Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands and Connections puzzles.I'm writing about today's New York TimesMini Crosswordwhile tolerating some 4 Across, or, the stereotypical weather in the Pacific Northwest. And I also have a cat in this room whose nickname is 9 Across, though she wasn't named for anything relating to British politics. Today's puzzle was a pretty easy one, I thought. But if you're stuck on any of the clues today, we've got the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times' games collection. If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections and Strands answers, you can visitCNET's NYT puzzle hints page.Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini CrosswordLet's get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers. The complated NYT Mini Crossword puzzle for Dec. 23, 2024. NYT/Screenshot by CNETMini across clues and answers1A clue: Character who's blue in the face?Answer: SMURF6A clue: Mideast country that juts out from Saudi ArabiaAnswer: QATAR7A clue: Loosen, as a knotAnswer: UNTIE8A clue: Author's negotiatorAnswer: AGENT9A clue: Labourite's rival, in British politicsAnswer: TORYMini down clues and answers1A clue: What catchers do behind home plate or an adjective that might describe their physiqueAnswer: SQUAT2A clue: Tropical fruit in a sweet salsaAnswer: MANGO3A clue: Say aloudAnswer: UTTER4A clue: Like stereotypical weather in the Pacific NorthwestAnswer: RAINY5A clue: Bar on a guitar's neckAnswer: FRETHow to play more Mini CrosswordsThe New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day's Mini Crossword for free, but you'll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today's Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.What did you think of all those single character options in today'sNew York Times Connections puzzle? I always look upon those as a challenge, and I start with the assumption that none of them are in the same category. That wasn't quite right today, where two of the single letters do end up together in the blue category. (But thanks to one number, each category gets at least one single-letter or single-numeral answer.) Read on for today's Connections hints and answers.Read more:Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every TimeHints for today's Connections groupsHere are four hints for the groupings in today's Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest, yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.Yellow group hint: They all sound the same.Green group hint: Sabrina is another one.Blue group hint: Ten hundred.Purple group hint: Faster than a speeding bullet.Answers for today's Connections groupsYellow group: Homophones.Green group: Necklines.Blue group: Ways to express 1,000.Purple group: Super ____.Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English WordsWhat are today's Connections answers? The completed NYT Connections puzzle for Dec. 23, 2024. NYT/Screenshot by CNETThe yellow words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is homophones. The four answers are ewe, U, yew and you.The green words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is necklines. The four answers are boat, crew, scoop and V.The blue words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is ways to express 1,000. The four answers are grand, K, M and thou.The purple words in today's ConnectionsThe theme is Super ____. The four answers are 8, Bowl, glue and Tuesday.

TOKYO - Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. have informed the Japanese government of their plan to start talks on a merger, a government official said Monday, in what would create the world's third-largest automaker group to take on U.S. and Chinese rivals in the electric vehicle market.The two companies are set to hold a press conference later in the day. A source familiar with the matter said they aim to conclude the negotiations in June.Sources said earlier that Honda and Nissan, Japan's second- and third-largest automakers by volume, respectively, will operate under a holding company with Mitsubishi Motors Corp., a Nissan partner, considering joining them later.Combined photo shows the logos of Honda Motor Co. (L) and Nissan Motor Co. (Kyodo)Honda and Nissan will look to split hefty development costs and reduce spending on production by sharing components.EVs are one of the most critical segments for growth as electrification reshapes the global auto industry. But Honda, Nissan and other Japanese automakers have lagged behind competitors such as Tesla Inc. of the United States and China's BYD Co.Honda and Nissan agreed in March to launch a feasibility study on a strategic EV production partnership, including related software technology development, to cut costs and improve competitiveness.The Honda-Nissan alliance would be the latest in a series of tie-ups among major automakers, with the group's annual sales reaching around 8 million vehicles if those of Mitsubishi Motors are included.Related coverage:Honda, Nissan to consider building vehicles at each other's plantsFOCUS: Honda-Nissan merger could zero in on EV developmentFoxconn in talks to buy Renault's stake in Nissan

Landscaper Installing natural grass.gettyThe U.S. Department of Agriculture is deciding whether to create a national program to strengthen demand for the $2.2 billion natural grass industry since American sod is facing an eroding market from plastic turf and consumer misconceptions.Concern is growing in the federal government and among natural grass sod producers about social notions influencing more people to devalue the benefits of natural grass in favor of its removal or plastic substitutes.These trends minimize the value of natural grass lawns and athletic fields in urban and suburban environments and have resulted in consumers reducing the amount of grass they manage and/or replacing it with other products, USDA stated. Plants, including natural grass, are often viewed as requiring large amounts of inputs from water, fertilizer, and chemicals, with few valuable outputs. This view frequently results in an inaccurate determination that natural grasses are resource intensive.Misconceptions about Natural Grass SodMost people are unaware about new technologies, drought-tolerant types of grass and advanced irrigation methods regarding the care of natural grass. Also natural grass landscapes in populated areas can provide ecosystem benefits such as carbon sequestration, oxygen, filtering pollutants and lowering water runoffs.In addition, the federal government estimates the supply chain for natural sod helps sustain local economies with revenue generated by home improvement centers, services for landscaping and lawns, and related equipment and product purchases.MORE FOR YOUThis issue is being evaluated by the USDAs Agricultural Marketing Service, which has been seeking public input since 2023 in proposed rulemakings. The latest two notices are a final rule and rule order/referendum issued Dec. 10 in Federal Register notices called a Natural Grass Sod Promotion, Research, and Information Order and a companion one for Referendum Procedures. The referendum asks sod producers to vote on creating a national industry-funded promotion, research and information program for natural grass sod products.Sod Generates Billions in U.S. EconomyThe $2.2 billion of natural grass sod produced in 2022 by U.S. natural grass sod farms enters the market where it contributes significantly to industries that focus on sustainable growth through public and private initiatives supporting environmentally responsible investments, as well as those industries that support it, USDA stated in a natural grass industry overview.Natural grass sod mainly comes from 1,500 documented farms that span a total of about 376,300 acres across the country. Different regions yield specific varieties that have adapted to grow in certain climates. Grass species such as bentgrass, fine fescue, tall fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass thrive in six different USDA plant hardiness zones from the 11 located in the continental U.S. Six other types of natural grass (bermudagrass, buffalograss, centipedegrass, seashore paspalum, Saint Augustinegrass, and zoysiagrass) are mainly grown in three warmer zones. Other specialty grass crops can be found in different regions.Seed industries, primarily in the Midwest and Pacific Northwest, supply seed for sod farms growing cool-season grasses including ryegrass, fescues, bluegrasses, and native or adapted mixtures. This industry produces over 600 million pounds of natural grass seed in Oregon alone, much of which is distributed to U.S. natural grass sod farms to produce sod that is then sold to other segments of the green industry, USDA notes.Stack of turf grass rolls for a lawngettyThe Fake Grass ThreatAlthough natural grass is being replaced in homes and public areas by mulch, brick, concrete pavers and some rubberized playgrounds, its main economic threat is from fake grass.Plastic, artificial turf is the primary competitor and most common alternative to natural grass for athletic fields on school grounds, public parks, and collegiate or professional sports venues, the government says. It cited a 2020 Synthetic Turf Council Market Report for North America listing a 15% growth rate since 2017 in the current $2.7 billion artificial turf industry, with increasing demand coming from athletic field and landscaping applications.Numerous grass growers and organizations that rely on natural sod backed the federal governments overture (through the USDAs proposed rule in 2023) to step in and help create the industry-funded promotion, research, and information program for natural grass sod products. A request for public comments resulted in 173 comments submitted prior to a December 2023 deadline.Supporters Include Producers, University Professors, Health ResearchersAllen Woerner, managing partner of Woerner Farms in Alabama, favored public education to overcome negativity. The company produces natural grass sod in Alabama, Colorado and Florida on over 3,000 acres. We care about the future and success of our industry and are concerned about the negative perception natural grass currently has. We believe with proper educational and marketing efforts we can combat this perception with research-based information, Woerner said.Kevin Morris, president of the National Turfgrass Federation and executive director of the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program, told USDA the public should be made aware that water utilities, counties and municipalities favor removing lawns and natural grass, which sometimes includes supporting adding artificial grass. Plastic grass is neither environmentally friendly, healthy for play, nor good for U.S agriculture, Morris wrote. Federal turfgrass research funding is scarcely available as the crop is neither food nor fiber, however, this program will change that and allow turfgrass research programs suffering from a scarcity of resources to not only survive, but thrive.Three faculty members from Mississippi State Universitys College of Agriculture and Life Sciences explained their support to the USDA in a joint letter.The natural turfgrass industry currently grapples with several pressing issues, most notably the rapid proliferation of synthetic surface alternatives. The environmental implications of these alternatives have only recently come under scrutiny. Other current issues driving our efforts, as well as those of fellow researchers, include water usage, wildlife habitat, nutrient and pesticide management, and carbon sequestration, the letter stated. We are committed to utilizing potential funds to enhance the sustainability and productivity of one of the nation's most significant cropping systems through research in various facets of turfgrass science, including improved cultivars and efficient, sustainable practices.The nonprofit National Center for Health Researchs Diana Zuckerman supported creating the organization to promote natural grass sod products. We are very concerned about the impact of artificial turf on the health and safety of children and adults, due to the lead and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in artificial turf, as well as the increase in injuries compared to grass fields. In addition, artificial turf retains heat, often reaching temperatures of 150-180 degrees Fahrenheit on warm, sunny days. For these and other well-documented reasons, artificial turf poses health and environmental problems that natural grass does not.Weighing Public Benefits of Natural Materials or PlasticsTechnological advancements in growing different types of natural grass and finding new, better ways to care for it are not widely known by most people. More public information is beneficial about the advantages and disadvantages of natural grass sod versus artificial turf. There are many important factors to consider: economic, health, environmental and wildlife impacts.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 21: Islam Makhachev of Russia (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa ... [+] LLC via Getty Images)Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesESPN has revealed the official fight card and bout order for the first UFC pay-per-view of 2025. UFC 311 will take place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on Saturday, January 18.The card will be headlined by UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev defending his title and spot as the No. 1 pound-for-pound champion against No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan.In the co-main event, UFC mens bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili will defend his title against Umar Nurmagomedov. Weve known for weeks that these two championship fights would sit at the top of the pay-per-view portion of the show in Los Angeles.However, now we know about the order of the entire card. Barring changes over the next three weeks, here is a look at the entire card, early prelims, prelims, and main card.Ive also included start times for each portion of the card.UFC 311 Main Card - ESPN+ PPV (10 PM ET)(c) Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan - UFC Lightweight Championship(c) Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov - UFC Mens Bantamweight ChampionshipJi Prochzka vs. Jamahal Hill - Light HeavyweightBeneil Dariush vs. Renato Moicano - LightweightKevin Holland vs. Reinier de Ridder - MiddleweightUFC 311 Prelims - ESPNEWS/Disney+/ESPN+ (8 PM ET)Johnny Walker vs. Bogdan Guskov - Light HeavyweightPayton Talbott vs. Raoni Barcelos - BantamweightJailton Almeida vs. Serghei Spivac - HeavyweightZach Reese vs. Sedriques Dumas - MiddleweightUFC 311 Early Prelims - ESPNEWS/Disney+/ESPN+ (6 PM ET)Grant Dawson vs. Diego Ferreira - LightweightKarol Rosa vs. Ailn Prez - BantamweightRinya Nakamura vs. Muin Gafurov - BantamweightRicky Turcios vs. Benardo Sopaj - BantamweightTagir Ulanbekov vs. Clayton Carpenter - FlyweightThe battle between Makhachev and Tsarukyan is a rematch of their clash in April 2019. That bout won Fight of the Night, but Makhachev won by unanimous decision. That victory was Makhachevs fifth in a row.MORE FOR YOUHes still on the same win streak, but its at 14 straight heading into the fight with Tsarukyan. The title defense against Tsarukyan will be Makhachevs fourth.Likewise, Tsarukyan has been nearly unbeatable since the loss to Makhachev.After the April 2019 fight, Tsarukyan won five in a row before losing a unanimous decision to Mateusz Gamrot in June 2022.Tsarukyan rebounded from that defeat and is riding a four-fight win streak heading into his first shot at winning a UFC championship.Unlike Makhachev, Dvalishvili is in the beginning of his reign as champion. Dvalishvili has won 11 fights in a row, but he just captured the bantamweight championship in September at the Sphere in Las Vegas with a unanimous decision win over Sean OMalley.A bitter rivalry has grown between Dvalishvili and Nurmagomedov, and there figures to be some bad blood during the co-main event. Nurmagomedov is getting the title shot as the No. 2 contender behind OMalley.Nurmagomedov defeated Cory Sandhagen via unanimous decision in August, and he has been savagely pursuing a title shot since his big win. Hell get his shot in January.

The recent Forrester Security & Risk Summit in Baltimore featured government cybersecurity officials discussing a newly published guide on zero trust and evaluating the next steps for the security model.In fact, Forrester is known for introducing the zero-trust security model back in 2009. The motto never trust, always verify suggests a least-privilege approach. Former Forrester analyst John Kindervag, now a chief evangelist at Illumio, was an initial champion of zero trust.In a Dec. 10 panel, cybersecurity leaders discussed Navigating the Federal Zero Trust Data Security Guide, which the federal CISO and CDO Councils published on Oct. 31. The guide, developed by 70 people from more than 30 federal agencies and departments, offers a breakdown of how government agencies and organizations should think about data risks. The goal is to provide a practical guide on how to implement zero trust.A Holistic View of Data and SecurityDuring the session, Steven Hernandez, CISO in the US Department of Education and co-chair of the US federal CISO Council, discussed how the guide could teach federal and private cybersecurity professionals think from both a zero-trust and data perspective.Its interesting because we talk about how to harness data, so we use a lot of behavioral analytics and logs from our systems, etc., Hernandez told the audience. Thats one side of the coin, but the other side of the coin is how we protect data using zero trust principles, technologies, and operations, and in the data management section, we're going to have to basically straddle both of those platforms to be successful. Related:Anne Klieve, management analyst in the Office of Enterprise Integration at the US Department of Veterans Affairs, agreed that a goal of the guide was to create a document that both the data and security communities could understand.It was about creating a guide that would be readable to both the cybersecurity and data communities, and specifically looking at how separate even the jargon was for both communities, Klieve said during the session.Massachusetts CIO Jason Snyder said he appreciates how the guide can move federal agencies and organizations past understanding the architecture of zero trust and doing something with it. He also said Massachusetts was at ground zero as far as zero trust.One of the things I really liked about the guide was its primary focus is data, and when you talk about zero trust, I think that is the right area of focus, Snyder said during the panel. So, what were doing within Massachusetts is really driving forward from a data perspective and better understanding our data, better understanding different types of data we have, and then working on ways to protect that data.Related:Heidi Shey, principal analyst at Forrester and co-moderator of the panel, sees the guide as applicable to organizations beyond state and federal government. For example, the panelists plan to add a section on supply chain risk.In an interview following the session, Shey told InformationWeek that the guide can help organizations no longer operate in silos as far as data and security.Were talking about really embedding data security controls throughout that entire life cycle and thinking about how we manage data and how we protect it in a much more holistic way, so that these two functions within organizations are not operating as siloed functions anymore the way they historically have been, Shey said. I think thats one of the big takeaways from this guide that people can use to help bring these two groups together on zero-trust data security.Klieve recommended that organizations use the guide to create a zero-trust data implementation road map based on general program management principles. This would include a maturity analysis and gap assessments. After that, organizations could implement their programs as they planned, including examining finances, examining risks, and managing performance. However, she noted that C-suite leaders such as the CISO and chief data officer would need to be consulted on how the budgets would be allocated.Related:Chapter 4 of the guide has a placeholder for the topic Manage the Data. Klieve would like to see this chapter filled with a discussion of alignment of data management to data security as well as how to use data management to minimize data breaches. In addition, the chapter should cover the interaction between data engines and machine learning as it relates to data security, according to Klieve. That includes preparing data for machine learning models.This will become a key document I just keep on my desk all the time, Klieve said. I really want to see it kept up to date.Hernandez said work on the Zero Trust Data Security Guide is in a holding pattern until late January, but then his team will brief the incoming administration on the overall status of all things cybersecurity. He also said the CISO council could add a zero-trust section to the National Institute of Standards and Technologys Special Publication 800-60, which provides guidelines on how to map data to security systems.The Next Level for Zero TrustMeanwhile, in another Dec. 10 panel, Next-Level Your Zero Trust Initiative panelists from the federal government as well as GE Aerospace addressed how government agencies and the private sector can move forward with zero trust.Eric Poulin, senior director for cybersecurity technology strategy and management at GE Aerospace, told the audience that applying the same zero-trust initiatives to all teams would not work.You can design a master zero-trust plan, but at the end of the day, you just try to put one blanket zero-trust plan, youre going to end up alienating certain individual business lines, Poulin said.At the Department of Interior, its zero-trust program manager, Lou Eichenbaum, has built a zero-trust community of practice, over three years, he told the audience. The department respects the separate missions of areas such as the National Park Service, and they all have input into how the department approaches zero trust.Brandy Sanchez, director of the Zero Trust Initiative at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the Department of Homeland Security, stressed the importance of incorporating zero trust in all layers.It needs to be part of every decision and every organization, Sanchez said. Any time you buy software, any time youre procuring something, any time that youre developing a system, all of that has to [incorporate] zero trust as the foundation.The challenge going forward in zero trust will not necessarily be in technology but in people and processes and getting buy-in from leadership and making sure all teams are aligned, according to Carlos Rivera, the panels moderator and a senior analyst at Forrester.Its not just an IT and security initiative; its an organizational initiative, Rivera told InformationWeek following the session. So getting those individuals involved, such as leads from HR, leads from finance, and getting a better understanding of what impacts them and whats important to them, and how do we enable their business and allow them to leverage certain technologies [but] not at the expense of security, thats really where the success will come.Because there are multiple maturity models, Sanchez and her team are working with the Department of Defense on zero-trust guidance.Words are important, and when we say one thing and another agency is interpreting that in a different way, it causes confusion, Sanchez explained during the panel. So anywhere that we can align, and that we can harmonize what we're doing, what others are doing, and get everyone on the same page across the federal government, thats where we want to head.Rivera said organizations have now achieved maturity as far as zero-trust strategy and planning, and now they are moving to implement zero trust into their operations.Sanchez sees the federal government providing more technical deep dives and how-tos around zero trust in the next year or two. Her team will be releasing publications on enterprise mobility and micro-segmentation. Going forward, Sanchez would like to see government agencies focus more on implementing zero-trust strategy based on their risk environment rather than just checking a box.You need to take an adversarial approach where you are looking at zero trust because thats what the bad guys are doing right? They want to get in; they want to get your information, Sanchez said. And so taking a strategic approach based on that view is where you can change the script, and that's really where were trying to push agencies towards, is keeping that in mind and managing at the risk level, versus just checking the box because thats not going to get us near the goal.

China's internet isn't happy that "Wukong Sun: Black Legend" is due for release on Nintendo's store.It's a 2D platformer game with art and a title that resembles "Black Myth: Wukong."Immensely popular in China, the game has an ardent player base that is fiercely defending the title."Black Myth: Wukong," the high-profile video game that earned superstar status in China, has a new titular competitor on the market: a side-scrolling platformer in which the Monkey King bashes through monsters of ancient legend."Wukong Sun: Black Legend," published by Global Game Studio, is now listed for preorderPosts deriding the Nintendo-listed game as a knock-off emerged on Monday morning and, within an hour, topped discussion rankings on Weibo, China's version of X, per data seen by Business Insider."Hey everyone, have you heard? The stunning 'Black Myth: Wukong' has actually been copied! This really makes you speechless," one user wrote."Since Nintendo has removed pirated games from its shelves, this should also be removed," wrote another.Promotional art for the Nintendo-listed game, which is due for release on December 26 and retails at $7.99, bears a striking resemblance to that of "Black Myth: Wukong." Promotional art from "Wukong Sun: Black Legend" alongside a design from "Black Myth: Wukong." Screenshot/Nintendo Store and CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images But the new title's gameplay looks nothing like that of "Black Myth: Wukong," a 3D action game with spruced-up visuals and a famed boss system that's difficult to overcome."Wukong Sun: Black Legend" appears to feature 2D sprites that approach from the right of the screen as the player navigates from the left."Black Myth: Wukong," produced by Chinese developer Game Science, is based on characters from the 1592 novel "Journey to the West," one of the most famous literary works in the region and a cornerstone of Chinese popular culture and mythology.The term "Black Myth" in the game's title refers to it telling a story that is not included in the original novel, which has served as the base for a hit 1986 TV show and a plethora of books, games, and other media.On its Nintendo store page, "Wukong Sun: Black Legend" also references the novel, saying it would allow players to "embark on an epic Journey to the West" and battle characters from its mythology.Weibo users aren't having any of it."Well-known games have been plagued by imitations for a long time," wrote Pear Video, a popular internet news account. "Malicious developers exploit the names of well-known games, reskin various small games, and put them on the shelves of big game stores with similar titles, deceiving uninformed consumers to buy and download.""I wonder how Nintendo will deal with it," a popular millennial gaming blogger wrote.Nintendo operates a marketplace that allows developers to publish games for Nintendo consoles. The company did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by BI.Global Game Studio is listed as both the developer and publisher of "Wukong Sun: Black Legend." According to Nintendo's website the developer has also produced a soccer game, an extreme sports biking game, a "Farming Harvester Simulator," and a zombie shooter.The studio did not respond to a request for comment in an email sent by BI."Black Myth: Wukong" is considered China's first homegrown AAA video game success, selling over 20 million copies on the marketplace Steam, per the data tracker Video Game Insights. The game retails at about $59.99 per copy, putting total sales north of $1 billion. The design of Sun Wukong from the video game "Black Myth: Wukong" is used as the model for a snow sculpture in Harbin. VCG/VCG via Getty Images Its release dominated China's internet this summer and has garnered an ardent cult following. Earlier this month, the title's failure to clinch the coveted "Game of the Year" award from The Games Awards sparked a wave of dissatisfaction on Chinese social media.

Renovation of self-built House in West Island / re-architecture design studioSave this picture! Bian LinRestaurants & Bars, RenovationSanya, ChinaArchitects: re-architecture design studioAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:1200 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2024 PhotographsPhotographs:Bian LinMore SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The project is located on a small island called West Island in Sanya. It is a commercial renovation of a self-built residence in a fishing village, with a nearly perfect sea view close to the coastline. Unlike other seashores in Sanya with a strong commercial atmosphere, the current West Island has not yet broken away from the simplicity of the original fishing village. Here, it seems easier to immerse yourself in the sense of natural relaxation brought by the sea. Making good use of sea view resources is the basic commercial concern in this project, but doing so alone is obviously not enough for us to respond the site. We hope to strengthen the emotional value of this place by interacting with the sea.Save this picture!Save this picture!Connect with the seaBecause the project is a renovation of a small house in a natural fishing village, it is very close to the sea, 4 meters only divided by a road. Compared with the regulations in Sanya that new houses must be 300 meters away from the sea, this makes the site of this project particularly precious. Being so close to the sea, we wondered if it is possible to connect our house directly to the sea, at least mentally connected.Save this picture!In order to maximize the sea view, the facade facing the sea is made of glass as much as possible, removing all the unnecessary decorative factors that may interfere. At the same time, the indoor seats are arranged parallel to the sea, so that the customers can enjoy the sea view as much as possible. The ceiling system emphasizes the lines perpendicular to the sea, which is convenient for sorting out the ceiling pipelines while also strengthening the directionality of the space rushing towards the sea.Save this picture!Even more, in order to further strengthen the sense of connection with the sea, the lines of the interior ceiling continue to extend outwards, turning into emerald green grille before they meet with the exterior curtain wall and then continuing to extend until it becomes part of the exterior sunshade eaves. This method not only blurs the perceptual boundary between indoor and outdoor, but also allows the structure of the eaves to penetrate deep into the interior, thereby reducing the diagonal supporting components of the exterior facade, making the eaves purer and lighter.Save this picture!Deep eaves and new materialAt the beginning of the project, a grid-shaped emerald green fiberglass grille just randomly appeared in our material library. At first, we didn't know what to do with it, but we knew that this material had an inexplicable fit with the site. This new material matches perfectly with the green coconut trees, the blue sky and the transparent sea in Sanya. In addition, this material itself has a slightly rough texture and super weather resistance, which can be integrated into the mottled natural life of the island in the fishing village. No matter what the weather conditions are, to some extent, the emerald green eaves and the turquoise sea of Sanya blend together as a whole. It is like you can walk into the sea at any time in front of the window.Save this picture!Along the way up to Choice CThis project is a renovation of a three-story building, which contains two stores: the first and second floors are seafood hot pot restaurants, and the third floor and roof terrace are used as dining and bar spaces. These two stores are operated independently. Therefore, the first step of the renovation is to consider how to organise the two flows so that they are independent without any conflict. This inevitably requires adding a new vertical circulation bypassing the first and second levels and directly leading to the third floor.Save this picture!We have always believed that for the restaurant and bar in this house, the commercial area needs to be simple and calm, so that people can enjoy the sea and fully relaxed. The circulation space for entry needs to be overdrawn, so we abandoned the original stairwell that runs up and down in the room. Instead, we added an external staircase on the other side of the building, connecting the second-floor terrace and the third-floor bar; and then added a straight staircase running towards the sea on the second-floor terrace, connecting to the ground. In this way, we have two vertical circulation spaces with different feelings: one is perpendicular to the sea, with a net width of 2 meters, which is not only the main flow route before entering the bar, but also provides a public three-dimensional area for tourists to take photos; the other external steel frame staircase, wrapped in semi-transparent frosted U-shaped glass, forms a blurred alienation effect with the environment, and also provides a psychological preparation process for guests before entering the bar.Save this picture!In addition, the roof of the bar is also the place where we made the most changes. Since the net height of the original third floor space was low, we removed the original roof and raised it up by one meter. At the same time, we realized that if this large area of the roof terrace was only one height, it would be a waste of the sea view resources, so we set three heights on the roof to allow the back row of space also having unobstructed sea view. The steel frame staircase wrapped in U-shaped glass leads directly to the roof and forms a whole scene with the rooftop bar. In the evening, this semi-transparent glass volume receives the sunset behind it, adding a romantic atmosphere to the entire venue, and also setting off the light effects for the bar space that about to open in the evening.Save this picture!The two attributes of the project and the temperament it finally presentedWest Island in Sanya is the largest aboriginal tourist island in Hainan province. It not only has the same beautiful sea view resources like other places in Sanya, but also has a large number of local fishermen living here. A prominent feature mixed with exquisite tourism needs and cozy fishermen's lives is exactly a unique quality that we hope to capture and present in this project. Therefore, we do not pursue pure cleanliness in design, but allow the sea breeze to leave traces of nature, and also allow traces of fishing villages such as art works of shipboard, graffiti and lighthouse sculpture to appear along with the building.Save this picture!When the construction was in its early stage, as designers, we naturally hoped that the project could be presented in an exquisite manner, because its customers were tourists from big cities. However, during the construction process, we found that it was basically impossible to accurately control the project, even with the full-cycle following service of site designers. Because this project was also a self-built house renovation in the village, the workers were mostly from local. Like other rural construction projects, the standard required to lay out lines, make proofs, and schedule production in a planned manner, which could be easily achieved in the city, were encountered great resistance here. Coupled with the unstable climate at the seaside and problems such as island transportation, we had to follow up on the mistakes of construction and adjust the design with progress.Save this picture!We were about to collapse, but one day we suddenly found that the final state of the project, the mottled and uneven lines washed by the sea wind and rain, was actually in harmony with the surrounding environment. This coincidence happenly match the quality of the cozy island life that we originally pursued. Probably, an overly refined project would be a bit abrupt in this place. Perhaps this state of having a sense of isolation and also being accepted by the environment has created the special temperament of this project.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessProject locationAddress:Port Xiaoqigang West Island, Sanyan, Hainan, ChinaLocation to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.About this officePublished on December 23, 2024Cite: "Renovation of self-built House in West Island / re-architecture design studio" 23 Dec 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1024818/renovation-of-self-built-house-in-west-island-re-architecture-design-studio&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save? / You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream