Silver Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2024
Forest Living Residential House
by Wei Zhih Chen and An Ting Liu
- A' Design Award 2024 Silver Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Awarded April 15, 2024
- CLIENT: Chenghe Studio CO.,LTD
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 37,002
- Verification code 61995920AB · Verify this award
About Forest Living Residential House
Forest Living is a residential interior located at the foot of Ali Mountain in Chiayi County, Taiwan. The home of 166 square meters was designed for an owner returning to the hometown after a long absence. The open plan follows the path of daylight, linking the space gradually from the outside to the inside. Floor-to-ceiling windows replace solid walls and bring the sky and greenery indoors. Fair-faced concrete walls are paired with wooden ceilings, wooden tables and chairs to add warmth. Wood bookshelves on the first floor extend to the second floor.
Cheng He Interior Design Studio's Forest Living Residential House exemplifies contemporary residential design's embrace of communal gathering spaces that merge the intimacy of domestic interiors with the intellectual aspirations of library environments. The composition reveals a masterful orchestration of material contrasts wherein the warmth of natural timber shelving establishes visual and psychological comfort against the raw honesty of exposed concrete structural elements, a dialogue that speaks to current architectural discourse around authentic materiality and biophilic design principles. The expansive shelving wall, organized into a generous grid of display and storage cubicles partially populated with books and decorative objects, functions simultaneously as architectural backdrop, spatial definer, and programmatic element, inviting residents to curate personal collections while contributing to collective visual richness. The technical achievement of the double-height space becomes evident in the sophisticated handling of natural light, which enters through the extensive glazing to wash the concrete surfaces in soft, even illumination while allowing the timber to absorb and radiate warmth. Furniture selection demonstrates thoughtful curation, with the communal tables and Scandinavian-influenced seating suggesting a design philosophy that prioritizes social interaction and shared experience within residential contexts. The pendant lighting installation introduces scale-appropriate vertical elements that humanize the generous volume while providing functional task illumination for the gathering areas below. This interior suggests an evolved understanding of contemporary dwelling that values community formation, intellectual pursuit, and material authenticity as essential components of residential well-being, inviting viewers to consider how shared spaces within residential developments might foster meaningful human connection.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Hometown is deeply ingrained in the mind. The hometown will always be home no matter how long you're away. In the latter half of the journey of life, the homeowner has decided to move back to the hometown. This retirement abode highlights the deep-seated love and longing for the hometown, emphasizing the unbreakable bond with family and the lasting impact it has on life. Accompanied by sleek iron parts, natural elements and materials, such as fair-faced concrete and wood can add human touch under the warmth of the sunlight and release warmth to the space.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- In the space of 166 square meters, an open-plan design allows light to naturally flow through windows. Following the path of light flow, the space is gradually linked from the outside to the inside. The floor-to-ceiling windows bring in an abundance of natural daylight, so that the public sphere is bathed in the light from dawn to dusk.
- Tags
- Interior Design, Residential, Japanese style, Wood, Sky corridor
- Production Technology
- Art paint, painted iron parts, system cabinets, marble countertops, wooden ceilings, raw concrete
- Design Challenge
- Using wood materials can reduce carbon emissions during construction. The use of windows instead of solid walls blurs the distinction between inside and outside, and turns the blue sky and greenery into a stunning scene. To prevent the space from becoming too cold, wood tones add warmth to the fair-faced concrete walls. Wood book walls, wood tables, and wood chairs ooze warmth and elegance.
- Project Duration
- The project finished in December 2023 in Chiayi County, Taiwan.
- Operation Flow
- Adequate lighting is essential for reading. Large floor-to-ceiling windows allow plenty of natural light into the space with a high ceiling, while the triangular plates outline the mountain ridge as one goes upstairs to second floor, fostering an interaction between the outside and the inside. A sky corridor makes it feel light and airy. The metal skeleton structure is a perfect way to filter light and create an ever-changing display of light and shadow.
- Research
- With Japanese style as the main axis of the interior space, the walls are made of fair-faced concrete to embody serene and tranquility. The unadorned textures give a sense of stability and ease. The wood bookshelves on the first floor extend to the second floor, and the genius arrangement of cross-shaped light fixtures create an exquisite hierarchical view.
- Inspiration
- Back to the roots is the theme of the design. Since the building is located at the foot of Ali Mountain, a large amount of wood is used as the base, creating a harmonious connection between the interior and exterior. Large floor-to-ceiling windows help bring in the outdoors to the indoor space, creating a cozy and nurturing reading environment.
- Image Credits
- Chenghe Interior Design Co., Ltd.