Nature is always close at hand in the Green Places Community Clubhouse, a relaxing getaway for the residents of an independent community in Tainan, Taiwan. Designed by Taiwanese architecture firm Chain 10 Urban Space Design, the sustainably minded clubhouse eschews the southern city’s famous traditional Chinese architecture styles for a contemporary appearance with stacked ring-shaped volumes. The building emphasizes connections between people and the environment, inviting nature indoors through visual design and adherence to passive solar principles.
The Green Places Community Clubhouse design follows the firm’s philosophy of viewing buildings as “living beings.” Taking cues from nature, the building features an organic-inspired curvaceous facade and interior decor, where timber and natural gray stone is used prominently and sculpted in rounded forms. Tall vertical indoor elements evoke the feeling of a forest, while timber surfaces and full-height continuous glazing wraps around the building to invite landscape views and natural light indoors. The outdoor landscape features multiple water features, including a swimming pool and reflecting pool.
The multistory building provides spaces for dining, reading, exercising, learning, sharing, and communication. To minimize the clubhouse’s energy footprint, the architects installed a solid wall to the west of the building to protect against intense sun exposure. To the east, a grove of trees protects the swimming pool from cold winter mornings, while an overhang provides shade on sunny days. Waterproof nano silane ketone resin is used on the facade to control mold. Gaps between the anodized aluminum panels and RC walls promote natural cooling.
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“The design emphasizes not only a comfortable indoor environment, but a natural outdoor environment,” write the architects. “In addition to fulfilling residents’ needs, it provides a comfortable environment where residents enjoy socializing with their neighbours. The aim is to give the community’s residents a sense of belonging and happiness.”
Via v2com
Images by Kuo-Min Lee
