Project Overview

This is an extraordinary renovation project that transformed a 30-year-old Japanese-style house into a spectacular vacation resort, designed by a talented and thoughtful designer. The designer paid meticulous attention to every detail and carefully planned the space to ensure every guest was comfortable and felt at home. The designer incorporated the five elements of Oriental Culture - gold, wood, water, fire, and earth - into each room's design, creating a unique and unforgettable living experience. Each functional space and window opening was creatively configured to ensure the perfect balance of warmth in the winter and coolness in the summer. When one stays in this guest house, one will be embraced by a cozy and comfortable spatial experience like no other.

Organisation

D&G SPACE DESIGN

Team

Kevin Wang
Viivian Hsieh
Ariel Wang

Project Brief

The designer also wanted the resort to blend harmoniously with the natural landscape. To achieve this, the building's exterior appearance was designed with a low-saturated color configuration, making it look like a beautiful stone statue standing in the heart of nature. The result is a breathtaking sight that will leave individuals in awe.

Not only is the guest house beautiful, but it is also environmentally friendly. The designer made minimal alterations to the original structure, respecting the ecology and protecting the environment from the inside out. This resort is a true green building that showcases the perfect balance between luxury and sustainability.

Project Need

At the outset of the design phase, the designer conducted a thorough analysis of the base's wind direction and sunlight orientation to ensure optimal functional settings. After careful consideration, the design team decided to include an infinity pool on the south side of the base to counter the high temperatures during summer. This pool can be used to lower the air temperature when the warm south wind blows on the waterfall wall. Moreover, the designer planned the main window opening on the east side of the base to increase the amount of indoor sunlight. This allows for warm sunshine during winter, creating a comfortable and cozy activity space for users. Additionally, this energy-saving approach also contributes to carbon reduction and environmental protection benefits, making it a sustainable and eco-friendly design.

Design Challenge

As one steps inside the house, the shared living space immediately captures one’s attention with its fully open layout that seamlessly integrates the living room, dining room, and kitchen. This space offers ample room for friends and family to visit, relax and engage in various activities together. What's more, the floor-to-ceiling windows that adorn the walls of this space bring in a lot of natural light, creating an open and airy atmosphere. As you take in the stunning sea view, you can feel your physical and mental stress melting away, thanks to the soothing effect of the view.

Moving towards the private realm of the house, one will notice that all rooms have been thoughtfully divided into five distinct elements - gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. Each room has been designed to reflect its respective elements in a unique and captivating way. For instance, the room with metal fittings is designed to echo the element of gold, while the warm gray and wood tones in another room beautifully reflect the element of wood. The aqua-blue spatial color in yet another room echoes the element of water, while the configuration of the floors and the orientation of the sunlight in another room symbolizes the element of fire. The brown spatial base in another room metaphorically refers to the element of earth, and the room is designed in the style of the Japanese Wabi-sabi room.

Sustainability

To create a healthy, comfortable, and sustainable vacation environment, the design incorporates various environmental protection measures. Firstly, the designers have used a minimal alteration approach to ensure that there is no depletion of resources caused by over-renovation. This approach also helps to mitigate the impact of the construction on the earth. Additionally, the planning of pools and waterfall walls in suitable locations can effectively lower the temperature of the building and the air, thereby indirectly reducing the use of indoor air conditioning. Large windows in public and private areas can also reduce the need for artificial lighting during the day. In this way, the design achieves the four environmental spirits of "Habitat Health," "Eco-Health," "People Health," and "Earth Sustainability" while maintaining aesthetics and practicality.