ZJJZ builds charred timber volumes on a hillside in rural china for ‘woodhouse hotel’

the design aims to capture the beauty of the natural environment by creating forms that harmonize with the surroundings.

lynne myers March 6, 2019 3 min

situated in the remote chinese village of tuanjie, architecture practice ZJJZ has designed the ‘woodhouse hotel‘, marking one of the first projects of a new government policy to help alleviate rural poverty through the introduction of agricultural tourism. unlike other rural areas, tuanjie has little traditional architecture, with the striking landscapes and pollution-free farmlands being the village’s greatest assets. the architect’s concept therefore aims to capture the beauty of the natural environment by creating forms that harmonize with the surroundings.

ZJJZ builds charred timber volumes on a hillside in rural china for 'woodhouse hotel' designboom

image © laurian ghinitoiu (also main image)

the hotel consists of 10 single-story wooden houses on a hillside that merge into abundant grass and woodlands. the topography of the site is complex and features scattered rock formations. through thorough site surveys undertaken by ZJJZ, the location and orientation of the ten timber buildings were determined so as to capture the most appealing views without disrupting the original rock formations and forests. a reasonable pedestrian path leads from the bottom of the mountain to the ten individual houses.

ZJJZ builds charred timber volumes on a hillside in rural china for 'woodhouse hotel' designboom

image © laurian ghinitoiu

due to the complex terrain, all the building materials were manually transported up the mountain face. in order to improve construction efficiency and minimize damage to the original rock formations, a combined structural system was adopted for each house using a wood-structured object and an elevated steel platform. the carbonized wood of the façades were manufactured on site with a simple process to reduce cost.

ZJJZ builds charred timber volumes on a hillside in rural china for 'woodhouse hotel' designboom

image © laurian ghinitoiu

the design of the wood houses aims to harmonize with the landscape and the rustic atmosphere while forming a contrast to the existing village buildings. the project by ZJJZ therefore avoids complex or exaggerated designs and employs three basic geometric forms. the façades, made of carbonized timber, is weather-resistant, and its color and texture make the wooden houses blend into the landscape smoothly. for the interior space, various windows are cut out in each house according to their form and orientation, introducing rich layers of the surrounding landscapes into the pure volumes.

ZJJZ builds charred timber volumes on a hillside in rural china for 'woodhouse hotel' designboom