Treehouse Land at Qiyun Mountain by Wisto Design

The Treehouse Land located at the foot of the Qiyun Mountain in Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China, is a camp resort that offers outdoor recreational programs in the forest. The landscape designers work with the architectural, lighting, and interior design teams to present a series of independent villas among the forest. To preserve the original living environment of the native wildlife species, the designers cautiously identify the location and density of buildings and paths, limit the base area of each building strictly to 40 to 80 sqm, develop structures hung like stilted houses, keep the trees that can run through building structures and paths, and replenish part of the base plants, thus protecting the biodiversity of the site. Four theme zones, namely the Flying Saucer, the Airplane, the Blocks, and the Alliance are developed. Each zone center on its guesthouses. Landscapes under a specific theme are designed from the entrance to affiliated spaces, aiming to highlight the themes in addition to the main buildings and create multi-dimensional experience. Treehouse Land at Qiyun Mountain not only provides a quality choice for vacation, but offers a unique perspective to interact with the nature and casts an additional value to this forest.

BackgroundThe Treehouse Land is located among a vast sea of pinewoods at the foot of the Qiyun Mountain in Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China. It is a camp resort that offers outdoor recreational programs in the forest. The Qiyun Mountain features profound natural and cultural resources, including steep topography, thick forest, sea of clouds, inscriptions on cliffs, and Taoism, attracting numerous visitors throughout the year. The landscape designers work with the architectural, lighting, and interior design teams to present a series of independent villas among the forest. Treehouse Land at Qiyun Mountain not only provides a quality choice for vacation, but offers a unique perspective to interact with the nature.

Minimal Interference over the Nature

The Qiyun Mountain boasts rich flora and fauna resources and enjoys vast subtropical evergreen forests with Cyclobalanopsis glauca, Lithocarpus henryi, Phoebe sheareri, and Cunninghamia lanceolata as the dominant species. The villas are located in forests composed of most needle-leaved trees and dotted broad-leaved ones. According to a previous survey about the Qiyun Mountain National Forest Park in 2015, there are 49 species of eutherian animals, over 200 species of birds, 45 species of reptiles, over 700 species of insects, etc. here. The National Wildlife Rescue Center in the South of Anhui once investigated the wildlife resources in the park and formulated protection plannings. To protect the living environment of the native species, the designers refer to the protection plannings and try their best to protect the original ecosystem of the site and enable the newly designed spaces staying in harmony with the nature.

In the first place, the location and density of buildings and paths are identified by fully leveraging the changing canopy densities of the natural forest. The openness and orientation of sight is adjusted to embrace the most beautiful natural scenes. Balanced between environmental protection and living comfort, the designers limit the base area of each building strictly to 40 to 80 sqm. The buildings are hung like stilted houses and built with local environment-friendly materials. Boardwalks and a few steps are used to link the buildings and structures up, preserving the original topography and low-growing vegetation. In addition, the designers keep the trees that can run through building structures and paths, maintaining the original landscape on one hand and enhancing the feelings of living in forests on the other. Base plants in some areas are replenished to cover the bare ground and enrich the biodiversity.

Create Scenarios Providing Rich Experience

Following the principles discussed above, the landscape designers and architects cooperate with each other to build an impressive site with unique IP (Intellectual Property). To encourage kids to explore the nature and science in the camp, four theme zones, namely the Flying Saucer, the Airplane, the Blocks, and the Alliance are developed. Each zone center on its guesthouses. Landscapes under a specific theme are designed from the entrance to affiliated spaces, aiming to highlight the themes in addition to the main buildings and create multi-dimensional experience.

Flying Saucer Themed Zone

In this zone, both the guesthouse and landscape structures are built into the shape of flying saucers that serve a wide range of purposes. The landscape designers place a flying sauce-like lighting installation overhead, indicating the beginning of this zone. The entrance leads to the main guestroom, behind which are supporting facilities including a trampoline, a fire table, and a diner that require privacy. These structures are connected by stairways, ramps, and nets. The visitors will have incredible living experience as if they are on a fantasy land.

Airplane Themed Zone

To echo with the airplane-like main guesthouse, the landscape designers propose to create the scenario of flying in the sky. After getting into the zone through an airplane-like arch, the visitors would “fly” above the pinewoods along the boardwalk and hide behind the “clouds.” To stay in harmony with the surrounding area, the “clouds” are made of rattans, which cover the arching steel frame underneath and create a special shadow. The “clouds” are 3 meters high, 4 meters wide, and 6 meters long, providing a shelter for the visitors to take a rest.

Blocks Themed Zone

The main guesthouse and other structures of the Blocks Themed Zone are built with solid wood components and 522 pieces of glass in a building-block approach, forming the layered façade. A few smaller blocks are arranged around a large block. Within some of the blocks, one might find the existing trees going through the façades and ceilings, creating a distinctive atmosphere.

Alliance Themed Zone

Apart from independent guesthouses, the Alliance Themed Zone allows several families to live together. The landscape designers connect four independent guesthouses to the Alliance Platform via boardwalks and nets, creating multi-dimensional experience by leveraging the altitude differences among different terrains. The Alliance Platform built with rattans and nets presents an amusement space where kids can gather quickly from their “territories.”

Results

Guided by the principle of minimal interference, the designers create scenarios providing rich experience. This safe, comfortable, and fun space finally meets the requirements for a camp resort of the target visitors (mostly families). Visitors would enjoy the splendid view of pinewoods, sea of clouds, and mountain landscapes; touch the skin of a tree which is rare in cities to feel its texture and learn more about it; see birds rest on or squirrel jump among the trees; or spot insects crawl outside the rooms. The Treehouse Land at Qiyun Mountain is not only a destination to spend holidays but also a natural educational base, which casts an additional value to this forest.

Name of the project: Treehouse Land at Qiyun Mountain
Project category : HOSPITALITY
Role of the entrant in the project: Landscape Design
Other designers involved in the design of landscape (if any):
Architectural design:
Shanghai Atelier Design Continuum
Shanghai JUND Architects Co., Ltd.
Anhui Xiangyuan Ziyoujia Holiday Camp Tourism Management Co., Ltd.

Lighting Design :
Qidi Shiguang Lighting Design (Beijing-Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
Interior Design:
Guangzhou Muma Interior Design Co., Ltd., Shanghai Atelier Design Continuum

Project location :
Xiuning County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China

Design year:2017
Year Built:2018

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