Comfort in Context | Kaohsiung City, Taiwan | 2019

Architects: Chain10 Architecture & Interior Design Institute
Client: Hua Ten Interior Decoration
General Contractor: Chain10 Architecture & Interior
Photographer: Qimin Wu

The property is adjacent to the low-density residential area of the Agongdian Reservoir in the mountains of Kaohsiung.

The building is 6.5 m away from the road. A green slope was created under the suspended wall on the second floor of the main building facing the hilly southward land. The natural grassy slope in the courtyard echoes the greenness of the hillside slope.

A number of Taiwanese beech trees were also planted to enhance the greenness of the property further.

All of this is expected to allow the inhabitants to easily view the change of seasons while creating a rare atmosphere that is impossible to achieve in a city-like environment.

With this project, the team wanted to go further with its connection to the environment.

Due to the location of the residence, they knew there would be numerous local wild animal and insect species.

A typical project like this would usually cause a lot of disruption to their habitats.

The size of the building also affects the combination of internal and external lighting.

A project facing the appropriate direction brings many benefits. An additional advantage being the trees on the hill.

They are natural air filters, which means that the air that exits the dense foliage is often cleaner and creates great air circulation in the garden. The living room has always been the focus of the family.

By significantly reducing the cost of construction, they managed to focus more resources on the spaces inside.

In doing so, they created a space that will give the family memories for generations to come.

The south-facing hilly green slopes situated in the courtyard extends the public space for the family.

Over time, the movement of the trees creates light and shadow in the yard, which brings a liveliness to the residents.The team has tried to ensure that as much natural light enters the room through the large floor-to-ceiling windows.

The slope near the reservoir allows us to easily feel the temperature difference between the city center and the more natural location.

Good ventilation is essential in any project and also directly reduces the energy consumption of the building air conditioners.

The building's windows are aligned in a north-south direction to allow the air to circulate while obtaining indoor light.

The east-west building facade follows a suspended shape to increase the shaded coverage and avoid direct sunlight.

A large number of green trees around the building take into the location of the property and attempt to address carbon neutrality.