Houses Of Stealth (Tonglu Senbo Resort)

English description provided by the architects.

THE WAY OF STEALTH: A RENEWAL STRATEGY RESPECTING COEXISTENCE

Since 2022, this landscape in Hangzhou Tonglu has undergone its largest transformation.

The first task was to persuade the client to abandon a "radically refreshed" look, instead rebuilding cabins and walkways with contemporary techniques – a return to a "non-referential" state.

The ground remains a continuous ecosystem. Beyond necessary clearing for fire access, the forest is largely preserved – falcons were still observed during construction.

In 2022, protecting native trees and building with moderation was a rarely taken path. We are delighted that this approach has since become a conscious choice for many.

Can a single form be given multiple expressions through simple operations? The pentagon offers one axis of symmetry.

Cutting one corner toward the ground and another toward the sky creates a Gömböc-like geometry – oscillating between instability and stability, achieving a tense balance between motion and stillness.

On the second floor, the window separates daylight from ventilation. The bathroom window aligns with the bathtub sightline, with a protruding element preventing views from outside.

The cabin has two doors: one on the slanted entry face framed by an H-structure, the other opening onto a private terrace.

Each cabin's orientation minimises mutual sightlines and maximises privacy. Walking along the paths, the buildings seem to teleport into place – black spirits frozen in different expressions. A single volume, seen from the walkway, appears to possess infinite facets.

The forest is an inverted triangle – branches as vigorous lines, leaves as dappled patches, boundaries blurred. The black cabins are immersed behind every natural tone, their shapes partially obscured by trees and deepened by shadows.