cozy timber-clad family home is nestled amidst green forest in taiwan

dot and associates designed a wooden family home in the nature of taiwan with the aim to allow the quality of the house to reopen perceptions that have been clouded by the city’s busy urban life. the architects decided to leave the house half empty instead of filling it with desires and so, they called it house ½.

all images by original image studio

dot and associates in cooperation with a carpentry factory in kochi, japan, built the house using a 100% tongue and groove technique, with construction and interior living requirements completed in six weeks. the main feature of this house is how flexible and transformable it is. the furniture pulls out into the outdoors, the barbecue grill becomes a kitchen, and camping chairs become living room chairs.

blending in with the surrounding landscape without cutting down a single tree was the top priority for building this wooden house. the designers deliberately left the roof open, and let the wooden structure survive two springs, summers, autumns, and winters, to test its durability in humid and hot taiwan. with a total of 60 square meters in size, the first floor is a living space with a living room, kitchen, dining room, and bathroom, and the second floor is a loft space for sleeping.

the architects designed a white pavilion at the entrance next to an existing temple for visitors to take a rest. a small loft room and a large central pillar– which is the symbol of family bonding– are placed upstairs in front of the hallway to support the home and bring a sense of belonging. house ½ aims to get away from the chaos and desires of the city and to return to the sensory to feel the beauty of life.

project info:

name: house ½ single housing

designer: dot and associates

location: pingzhen district, taoyuan city, taiwan

photography: original image studio

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: yasmina karam | designboom