Han-Gu Villa

KRIS YAO | ARTECH

Short description

Han-Gu Villa is a 72-room resort, nestled in a valley below the Simatai Great Wall. Grouped in eight clusters of “stilthouses,” the accommodation spans 600 meters east to west. The valley is surrounded by abundant original vegetation, with a small stream running through in the middle. To retain as much as possible the original landscape, the buildings are connected by an open elevated footbridge that weaves between the trees, offering guests shifting views of the valley and mountains with every step, and allowing them to enjoy the harmonious coexistence of the manmade with the natural. At the western end, a reception hall serves as the threshold between public and private, restricting access to staff and guests only in order to guarantee a secure, highend experience.

The building facades were constructed from environmentally friendly composite wood with a fine surface grain. Their colors blend perfectly with the setting, and their subtle tonal variations reflect the shifting colors of the surrounding landscape through different seasons and weather conditions.

Han-Gu Villa tiptoes its way across the valley, careful not to intrude on the natural habitat. It arrived as a fabricated interpretation of its indigenous neighbors, and was arranged in the style of a settlement, with each cluster reminiscent of the vernacular cabin of early forest inhabitants. The rooms and the walkway hover gracefully above the stream and rocks, providing visitors an opportunity to appreciate and immerse themselves in nature, while causing minimal disruption to its growth.