House of Bluff– A playground of the wasteland

Principal designer Cheng Zhi took inspiration from Lucas Cranach the Elder’s painting The Fountain of Youth during the site assessment. The team envisioned revitalizing this neglected terrain much like the mythical rejuvenation depicted in the artwork. The design transforms the property into a lively retreat: a fortress for enjoying the mountain landscape, complete with an outdoor bath, swings, and slides for children, creating a paradise filled with exploration and laughter.

Faced with logistical challenges from the site’s remote location, budget limitations, and spatial relationships with neighboring buildings, chaoffice adopted a modular approach. The 426㎡ plot accommodates a 305㎡ two-story structure designed to harmonize with the natural topography. The layout employs semi-outdoor spaces, sunken courtyards, and defined zones to balance volumes and establish clear circulation. The modular elements, measuring approximately 4.5m x 4.5m, stack and interlock with precision, integrating solid and open areas while maintaining visual harmony with the surrounding environment. The result is a balanced distribution of light and air across the interior and exterior.

Concrete beams and columns provide a solid foundation, while locally sourced stones were repurposed for the façade. Stainless steel eaves protect the exposed structure from rainwater erosion. The building is divided into east and west zones by the two prominent trees on the plot, with a layered approach connecting the spaces. The northwest section serves as the primary entrance and includes a standalone bedroom that doubles as a security checkpoint. From here, a corridor leads eastward, with tree canopies guiding the gaze to a sunken semi-open courtyard and a parallel observation deck. This arrangement fosters dynamic interaction between the upper and lower levels, maintaining a fluid flow of air and light. At the eastern end of the corridor lies a private suite, its south-facing balcony equipped with a swing suspended from a horizontal beam, offering a playful respite for children.

The secondary entrance features a hidden wooden sliding door that opens to reveal a slide leading to the lower level—a delightful shortcut. The primary circulation route descends to the public spaces on the ground floor, which are sequentially arranged from north to south: a flexible guest room, dining area, living room, and kitchen. A staircase at the southwestern corner leads to the outdoor bath on the upper level, echoing the rejuvenation theme of The Fountain of Youth. The design team even humorously considered naming the project Hot Pot House due to the layered interactions between the spaces.

Three distinct pathways on the west side connect to private bedrooms on the east side, ensuring functional independence while maintaining spatial fluidity. Between the living room and dining area, a sunken corridor with a glass ceiling allows natural light to filter through, creating an artistic semi-subterranean gallery. The main circulation between the living room and kitchen bridges public and private zones, using height variations to delineate spaces. A galvanized steel spiral staircase provides vertical connectivity, leading to an upper platform with panoramic views of the southern mountain ranges framed by tree canopies.