curvaceous concrete walls compose XRANGE architects' remote retreat in taiwan

XRANGE architects designs a retreat where walls ‘wander’

located in a remote location in taiwan‘s pingtung county, the ‘wandering walls’ retreat by XRANGE architects blurs the boundaries between architecture and landscape. its rugged, curvaceous walls ‘wander throughout like flowing ribbons’, defining public and private spaces. the eight-room B&B hugs the edge of a native crop of acacia trees, gently curving out towards the ocean. built from cast in place concrete, the building’s bearing walls are misaligned vertically, moving in and out of the three floors independently to form room layouts and capture views of the surroundings.

‘the remote location is susceptible to gale-force winter winds, sea salt in the atmosphere, and had no access road prior to construction,’ explains the taipei-based architecture studio. ‘furthermore, the lack of skilled construction labor and the shoestring project budget drove the decision to use cast in place concrete early on at the concept phase for its climatic endurance, ease of transport and storage on site.’

images by kuo-min lee and lorenzo pierucci studio

single architectural element and minimal material palette

seeking to create a sense of quietude and permanence, XRANGE architects developed the ‘wandering walls’ retreat with a single architectural element and a minimal palette of materials. the three-story building has no windows on the windward side, but opens up towards the hill top grasslands and ocean through floor-to-ceiling windows on the opposite side. its curved concrete walls serve as both structure and form, inside and outside, exterior and interior all at once. at the stairs, the walls hover over each other to reveal the horizon at the juncture of the sky, forest and ocean. meanwhile, on the ground floor, they cantilever off the floor slab to form courtyards.

along their entire lengths, the materiality of the walls transitions from rough concrete to wood, metal and tiles. for the construction, XRANGE used local formwork made of recycled or rough low grade wood, 30cm wide panels for bigger curves, 20cm for tighter curves and 4cm batons for sharp curves. ‘the highly tolerant formwork system allows for misalignments and mistakes made by the local workers, which created the signature “lo-res” curves throughout,’ says the studio. the retreat is complete with a 360 degree infinity pool on the roof, which offers weeping panoramic views of the ocean and the surrounding mountains.

floor-to-ceiling windows open up towards the hill top grasslands and ocean

on the windward side, the roughen cast texture of the walls has gradually smoothen out due to the seasonal winds

the conservation of the acacia and surrounding grasslands are primary aspects in the landscape design

the three-story building has no windows on the windward side

on the ground floor, the walls cantilever off the floor slab to form courtyards

bedroom interior

the curved concrete walls move seamlessly between inside and out

360 degree infinity pool with sweeping panoramic views of the ocean

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the walls fly 4.5m off the 2F and 3F floor plates to form a vertical suspended enclosure

the enclosure serves as an echo chamber of sorts, 'where the sound of acacia leaves rustling in the strong ocean winds is amplified'

 

 

the 'wandering walls' retreat at nighttime

project info:

name: wandering walls
architect: XRANGE architects (also interior and landscape design)
location: hengchun township, pingtung county, taiwan
site area: 2,880 sqm
building area: 490 sqm

structural engineers: top technic engineering consultants co., ltd.
lighting design: unolai lighting design & associates
photography: kuo-min lee, lorenzo pierucci studio