chaoffice designs this house of bluff like a concrete 'playground' in beijing village

a place of ‘rejuvenation’ in residential beijing

Located in a quiet village in Beijing, this House of Bluff by architecture studio Chaoffice stands as an example of transformation and renewal. The existing house had been abandoned for years, becoming a derelict structure overtaken by wild vegetation, collapsed buildings, and debris. When the architects first visited, they found the property inhabited by stray animals, birds, and even palm-sized spiders. However, among the decay, two toon trees had flourished on the site, sheltering the neglected land.

The architects drew inspiration for the design from Lucas Cranach the Elder’s 1573 painting The Fountain of Youth. In the painting, a finely crafted sunken basin, symbolizing youth, contrasts starkly with a surrounding barren landscape. This symbolic contrast is echoed in the design of House of Bluff. With a limited budget, the architects employed simple geometric concrete forms to breathe new life into the wasteland, turning it into a space of ‘rejuvenation,’ much like the fountain in Cranach’s painting.

images © Zhu Yumeng

a modular ‘playground’ house by chaoffice

The available budget permitted the architects at Chaoffice to construct a two-level building covering nearly 300 square meters, which left the original 400 square meter courtyard feeling sparse. What’s more, the adjacent building was large and imposing, threatening to overwhelm the new structure. Faced with these challenges, the team opted for a design that would create a sense of openness and grandeur despite the limited footprint. Instead of focusing on maximizing the building’s size, the architects introduced semi-outdoor spaces and independent structures to balance the scale.

At the heart of the design is a basic cubic unit measuring 4.5 meters by 4.5 meters, which forms the basis of the house, porches, and hollow frames. In certain areas, portions of these units were strategically removed to allow more light and to improve sight-lines for the neighbors. This modular approach not only softened the building’s presence on the street but also created a series of interconnected spaces, giving the house the atmosphere of a ‘playground.’

House of Bluff in Beijing was once a derelict, overgrown property inhabited by stray animals and wild plants

inside the house of bluff

The main entrance of House of Bluff is situated at a higher elevation in the northwest corner of the site, leading visitors to descend a staircase into the ground-floor living space. The interior layout is organized from south to north, with the kitchen, living room, and dining room flowing together in an open plan. One of the home’s unique features is a sunken outdoor bathtub, located directly to the south of the entrance and positioned beneath an exposed concrete frame. The bath, supported by folding beams and vertical columns, sits above the ground-floor kitchen and its central fireplace, creating a dramatic visual effect that nearly led the architects to name the project ‘House of Hotpot.’

Externally, House of Bluff features an exposed concrete frame filled with stone, creating a rugged and durable facade. Inside, the walls are finished with warm-toned stucco plaster, with the structural frames covered in wood paneling. This combination of materials — concrete and wood — creates a deliberate contrast that reflects the duality of the structure and its maintenance systems. The juxtaposition of these elements enriches the architectural narrative, making House of Bluff a bold yet thoughtful intervention in its once-neglected surroundings.

the team draws inspiration from the painting Fountain of Youth, symbolizing rejuvenation in a barren landscape

the architects worked to balance the new structure with its imposing neighbor

the house is built around 4.5-meter cubic units, creating semi-outdoor spaces and hollow frames

the facade combines concrete and stone, while the interior features warm stucco and wood paneling

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project info:

project title: House of Bluff

architecture: Chaoffice | @chaoffice

location: Mentougou, Beijing, China

lead architects: Cheng Zhi
design team: Wu Di
engineering: Gao Xuemei
collaborators: Zhang Youjiang
clients: Liu Fei

built area: 305 square meters

completion: 2024

photography: © Zhu Yumeng | @yumeng_zhu_coppakstudio