A “mushroom” house in a pine forest

The young Chinese studio ZJJZ has designed a small house surrounded by nature in a pine forest in Jiangxi province, China.

The architectural form of the house is composed of two simple volumes organised by function. The largest part of the “mushroom” is the circular space of the guest room, with a panoramic window at eye level. Sitting on chairs or leaning against the bed, guests are immersed in the surrounding nature. The mezzanine serves as a children’s area, connected to the room by a staircase. The white cone-shaped ceiling is rounded off at the top to give a sense of limitless extension to the space. The bathroom and utility room are arranged in a simple rectangular volume, which is inserted into the main body of the “mushroom”. Next to the bathtub a horizontal window is designed to avoid the view from the pedestrian pathway, ensuring privacy but allowing a view of the forest, while the circular skylight at the top introduces different expressions of light and shadow as the weather changes. This poetic space also serves as the entrance to the house, where visiting guests linger.

ZJJZ, The mushroom house, 2020. photo Fangfang Tian
ZJJZ, The mushroom house, 2020. photo Fangfang Tian

The Mushroom house has a raised steel structure to minimise the impact of the construction on the site. As time goes by, the green plants on the ground will gradually spread to embrace the building. The cone-shaped roof is covered with pine shingles, while the rest of the house is covered with granite concrete. These materials change colour with humidity and time, allowing the building to harmonise with its natural surroundings.

project:
The mushroom house
architect:
Studio ZJJZ
project team:
Sean Shen, Xuanru Chen, Yuying Kate Tsai
structures:
XIE Technologies
contractor:
Zhejiang Huzhou deyi Construction Co., Ltd.
built area:
50 sqm
completion:
2020

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