wiki world tops wooden cabin in suburban wuhan with snug, triangular loft

‘the ark cabin’ by wiki world 

Nestled in the bushes of suburban Wuhan, ‘The Ark Cabin’ is a two-story getaway home built by Wiki World for a family of four. Characterizing this wooden cabin is a huge triangular roof doubling as an intimate loft that oozes warmth. The eye-catching rooftop also responds to Wuhan’s southern climate by offering ample protection from sun exposure and rainy days.

The first floor breaks down into two spatial blocks: it features a big terrace extending into the forest under the eaves and a separate room with a fireplace where owners can enjoy some alone time. The living room connects to a guest bathroom, with a staircase leading up to the second-floor triangular loft hosting two bedrooms that sit at opposite ends. The architects concealed air conditioning and lighting systems to maintain the purity of the loft’s wooden, geometric texture. 

Reflecting on the cabin, the owner, Paul, writes: ‘This wooden house, for me, is both a reward and a place to come and catch my breath when I feel overwhelmed. The future lifestyle I imagine will be more about the experience than achievement; pursuing achievement often comes with anxiety, while experience is easier to obtain and more grounding and enriching.’

the ‘Ark Cabin’ is made predominantly of Finnish wood 

building with nature from start to finish

Wiki World (see more here) used a prefabricated wooden structure to complete ‘The Ark Cabin’. Throughout, the team retained every tree on site and preserved the path and texture of the original woodland. ‘We tried to create a precise relationship between the cabin and the forested context. The structure is elevated from the ground, and no walls or artificial landscapes are used. Nature is the best package,’ comments Wiki World. 

The overall structure is made of Finnish wood, appearing as grainy plywood along the facades and carbonized cladding on the roof. By adopting these techniques, the architects hope to amplify material influence on space and senses.

building with nature using generous openings and by preserving the woodland path 

The owners were also involved in the building process of their house; ‘Paul said that the log cabin was new and fun to build, the charred wood felt great, and it felt like home to build a house together as a family in the forest and to move in together,’ notes Wiki World. 

Concluding, Paul states: ‘The living experience is no less than a five-star hotel. The wood insulation is great, and a small fireplace can provide sufficient heat for such a large house. My wife, who’s been afraid of ghosts since she was a child, didn’t want to leave after a week of living in the house. Before The Ark goes online, many friends asked to come and stay there. It may be mostly out of curiosity, but I believe they will eventually love the house once they’ve lived there.’

aerial view showing the how the atypical house blends into the landscape

loft area, holding a snug and intimate atmosphere

its triangular shape and high ceilings elevate the loft’s geometric purity 

night time view of the spaceship-like rooftop 

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project info:

name: [Wild Home #94#] – The Ark Cabin

location: Wuhan, China

architecture: Wiki World
design team: Wei Mu, Yingchun Zhang, Baorong Wu, Zhaoxian Feng, Jiaqi Li 

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: lea zeitoun | designboom