Chinese architecture studio ZJJZ Atelier has designed The Mushroom, a mushroom-formed wooden house located among a pine forest in the suburbs of Xinyu City.
Inspired by the surrounding nature, the architectural form is composed of two simple volumes according to the functions.
The main body of the mushroom structure acts as the guest room space, with a panoramic window offering uninterrupted views of the surrounding nature from the comfort of the bed or chair.
The loft, located in the pure white cone-shaped roof cladded with pine woods – serves as a child area, linked by the small-scale stairs. The ceiling is rounded on top in order to create a sense of unbounded extension to the space.
Elsewhere, the bathroom and storage space are arranged in a simple rectangular volume, which also serves as the entrance lobby where guests visit and linger. A horizontal window is implemented next to the bathtub, bringing nature into the space whilst also ensuring privacy by avoiding the view from pedestrian path. A circular skylight introduces different expressions of light and shadows with the change of time and weather.
The Mushroom adopts a lifted steel structure to minimise the impact of construction on the site. Over time, green plants on the ground will gradually spread to embrace the building.
The body of the house is coated with granolithic concrete, a material that changes in colour with humidity and time, allowing the building to further harmonise with the surrounding natural environment.
