Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
Renowned for its strong integration with the natural environment and sustainable design principles, the Comfort in Context residence by Chain10 Architecture & Interior Design Institute is surrounded by lush greenery and hills, offering a retreat from urban life.
The property is adjacent to the low-density residential area of the Agongdian Reservoir in the mountains of Kaohsiung.
In front of the property, there is a private 6-meter road that takes into account privacy and the safety of vehicles entering and exiting.
Comfort in Context has won a 2024 Future House Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and Global Design News.
A green slope was created under the suspended wall on the second floor of the main building facing the southward-hilly land. The natural grassy slope in the courtyard echoes the greenness of the hillside slope.
Due to the location of the residence, the team knew there would be numerous local wild animal and insect species.
With this project, the architects wanted to go further with its connection to the environment.
“What I could do was minimize the effect of the internal physical lighting,” shares the architect.
“This lighting has been positioned in such a way that it doesn’t disturb the habitats in the area.”
The dramatic changes in climate have become the primary problem faced by the citizens of the globe. The choice of this particular property takes into account the heat island effect that is common in metropolises.
Here, the company factored in the typical south-westerly wind direction during summer. This wind combined with the facade is why the building is much cooler and requires less usage of electricity to keep it cool.
The building 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. At the same time, this manages to create shade and filter the ambient air quality.
The exterior of the building is made of breathable and environmentally friendly paint with galvanized steel.
The interior design is not extravagant and tries to remain ethical and sustainable.
Environmentally-friendly recycled materials have been extensively used, so the structure is easily alterable. The reduced carbon emissions are expected to preserve more of the planet for the next generation.
Project: Comfort in Context
Architects: Chain10 Architecture & Interior Design Institute
Lead Architect: Keng Fu Lo
General Contractor: Chain10 Architecture & Interior Design
Client: Ying-Hsiung Chiao
Photographers: Qimin Wu, Moooten Studio
