A découvrir, « The Chen House« , une étonnante maison bioclimatique, synthèse du design traditionnel et des modes de vie contemporains, construite à Taïwan par C-laboratory, un collectif d’architectes, de designers, d’artistes et de scientifiques réunis par une même volonté de re-concevoir l’environnement direct des hommes. Toutes les images dans la suite !

Description originale

The house is realized on an old Japanese cherry-farm in the Datun -mountains of North-Taiwan. It is designed as a vessel to react on the demanding wind, flooding and heat conditions on the site.

The house is a stick raised above the ground in order to let the flood waters run under it. The different spaces are connected to a flexible movement within the axis of outdoor and indoor functions. The smaller bathroom and kitchen unit acts as a kicker stabilizing the wooden structure during the frequent typhoons and earthquakes.

The bio-climatic architecture is designed to catch the cool breeze from the Datun -river during the hot days and to let in the small winds circulating on the site between the fresh water reservoir pond and the farmlands. A fire place is used during the winter for heating and for cooking tea. In connection with the bathroom is a small sauna.

The house is not strong or heavy – it is weak and flexible. It is also not closing the environment out, but designed to give the farmers a needed shelter. Ruin is when man-made has become part of nature. With this house we were looking forward to design a ruin.

Spécifications techniques

Architects : C-laboratory: Marco Casagrande, Frank Chen
Construction work : Marco Casagrande, Frank Chen, Shi-Ding Chen, Nikita Wu, Shu-Gi Bai
Local Knowledge : Missis Lee
Location : Sanjhih, Taipei County, Taiwan
Site : 3890 m2 farm land, Datun Mountains Building foot print: 138 m2 Interior space: 62,5 m2
Materials : mahogany, concrete
Completed : 2008

all photographies credited AdDa, plans by C-laboratory & via