Lifted gently above the ground on a delicate structure of steel columns, the building rests lightly on the landscape, honouring the natural contours and native vegetation. Organised in a Y-shaped plan, the project unfolds across three distinct volumes — the social core (Living Hub), the wellness space (Wellness Retreat), and the private sleeping wing (Sleeping Wing) — each arranged at a 120-degree angle to evoke balance, flow, and the cyclical nature of time.
At the heart of the composition lies a circular courtyard — the Forest Valley — serving as both a symbolic and spatial anchor of the home. Inspired by Zen gardens, this carefully sculpted void offers a pause — a moment of contemplation, a breath.
The Japanese philosophy of ma — the space between things — is present in every gesture of the project. Here, voids hold as much importance as built form, creating a rhythm of stillness and an architecture that embraces silence. A perimeter gallery, inspired by the traditional engawa, dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior, deepening the sensory experience of the ever-changing forest.
The material palette reflects a poetic restraint, comprising basalt stone, recycled concrete, Japanese cypress wood, and clay tiles that form a textural, low-impact ensemble. The curved roof, subtly sloped, echoes both topography and tradition — a gesture that feels almost geological in its quiet presence.
Each space is designed to open to the outdoors without imposing upon it, ensuring thermal and acoustic comfort through passive strategies and a respectful dialogue with the surroundings. In the Living Hub, a sunken lounge around the fireplace invites togetherness; the Wellness Retreat, with a private onsen clad in charred wood and dark concrete, offers immersion and purification; while the Sleeping Wing ensures quietude and retreat.
Here, architecture does not seek to dominate. On the contrary, it dissolves into its context, amplifying the sound of wind in the tree canopy, following the filtered light, and whispering the passing of time.