FUNGZEN Forest Healing Resort / TAOA

Architects: TAOA
Area: 1255 m²
Year: 2021
Lead Architect: Lei Tao
Design Team: Lei Tao, Zhen Chen, Ye Tao, Zhenqiang Dun, Linna Yuan, Yunyi Dai, Tong Shi, Lang Sun
Interns: Xiaozhuo Zhu, Weiming Wan, Licheng Sun
Client: 浙江风马牛长乐文化旅游有限公司
Collaborators Contractor: 中国建筑技术集团有限公司
City: Hangzhou
Country: China

FUNGZEN Forest Healing Resort, designed by TAOA, is a retreat in the mountain forest outskirts of Hangzhou, China, emphasizing harmony with nature. The butterfly-shaped structure spans two hillsides, integrating the natural landscape into the interior. The resort features vertical “column courtyards” with preserved trees, a stepped sloping roof for performances, and aluminum shell buildings deep within the forest. Interiors use warm wooden materials and offer varied elevations without partitions, with floor-to-ceiling glass facades and skylights providing views of the landscape. This design fosters a spiritual connection with nature, promoting inner peace and freedom.

The FUNGZEN Forest Healing Resort is a leisure and holiday retreat situated in the mountainous forest suburb of Hangzhou, China. The design begins with a deep consideration of the natural environment. The primary focus is on creating a space that interacts harmoniously with the mountain forest, conforming to the terrain and integrating seamlessly into nature. The unique site conditions dictate the building’s distinctive form and layout.

The site comprises two rectangular areas connected at the corners, spanning a narrow valley stream less than three meters wide. The butterfly-shaped building connects these rectangles across two hillsides through service spaces, following the contour lines of the terrain. This shape creates two V-shaped cuts that open toward different parts of the valley, bringing the natural landscape into the interior. Two sides of the building are embedded into the mountain, preserving the stream and mountain road channels beneath the elevated structure.

To incorporate some trees indoors, the vertical structure is designed as a “column courtyard,” serving both as a structural pillar and a “miniature courtyard” that preserves a single tree. The roof features a stepped slope, creating a space that can be used as a forest theater for small-scale performances. This sloping roof unifies the interior space, adding rhythm as the ground elevation changes.

The goal of creating this space is to allow every visitor to achieve a state of complete relaxation and experience a world with its unique rhythm, distinct from the ordinary.

The 38-68㎡ aluminum shell buildings are situated deep in the forest, blending seamlessly with nature. This architectural design returns to the fundamental concept of a shelter, providing basic protection against wind and rain to meet people’s essential needs. The weather-resistant aluminum shell withstands harsh climates, contrasting with the natural environment. The spaces are human-scaled, with walls and roofs within reach, creating an experience similar to camping tents. This design gives a sense of closeness to nature, with only the thickness of an outer wall separating the occupants from the outdoors.

All-in-one wooden material offers a warm and comfortable interior, creating a pleasant living atmosphere that contrasts with the wildness of the external natural environment. This contrast heightens sensitivity to nature, allowing people to appreciate its beauty, whether tender and delicate or harsh and cold.

Each building contains a native tree, creating a courtyard that integrates with the indoor space through glass. This design allows nature to penetrate the building, providing a private landscape view for the toilet and maintaining a constant connection with the natural environment.

The interior features varied elevations, separating living areas by height instead of partition walls. This design maintains relative independence and creates dynamic spatial changes, which are mirrored in the external form of the buildings to adapt to the mountain slopes.

Each interior space features a floor-to-ceiling glass facade. Skylights at the top of the pyramid shape allow views of the sky and treetops, combining in various directions to enhance the scenery. The external landscape is projected into the entire space, becoming the main architectural element and creating a unique spatial tension. This design maximizes the perception of nature while living indoors.

As a spiritual healing space, FUNGZEN Forest Healing Resort emphasizes blending with nature, fostering inner peace and freedom by allowing people to reconnect with the natural world.