Project Info
Project Name: Chen Resort
Architects: CEADESIGN
Location: Taipei City, Taiwan
Black vanity and cedar slats define a meditative powder room
In the humid and verdant heights overlooking Taipei City, architecture often struggles to find a balance between protection from the elements and a connection to the view. CEADESIGN has addressed this challenge with the Chen Resort. This is a project that treats the concept of "home" as a continuous journey through nature. The residence does not merely occupy its site but rather weaves itself into the misty topography of the Taiwanese mountains. It functions as a sensory filter that allows the inhabitants to experience the forest while remaining encased in a refined and minimalist shell.
Timber beams and blinds filter mountain light into the living room
The architectural language of the Chen Resort is defined by a series of heavy horizontal planes. These massive slabs appear to float above the sloping terrain to create a feeling of weightlessness despite the use of substantial materials. The architects utilized local slate for the primary vertical walls to ground the structure. These stone surfaces provide a rugged and tactile quality that mimics the nearby cliff faces. This choice ensures that the building feels like a natural extension of the mountain itself rather than a foreign object placed upon it.
Stone soaking tub and cedar sauna anchor the wellness suite
The internal organization of the home is a study in spatial layering. Instead of using traditional doors and walls to divide rooms, CEADESIGN employed a series of "voids" and transitional zones. The social areas are designed as a grand open platform where the living room and dining area merge seamlessly. Large panels of high transparency glass wrap the perimeter of these spaces. This design choice effectively erases the physical barrier between the interior and the exterior. When the glass panels are retracted, the living room becomes a covered terrace that breathes in the cool mountain air.
Dark granite bath opens directly toward the serene bedroom beyond
Materiality plays a vital role in establishing the resort-like atmosphere of the home. The coolness of the slate is balanced by the warmth of natural timber used for the ceilings and custom furniture. This contrast creates an environment that feels both sophisticated and deeply comfortable. The architects also integrated internal water features that run through the circulation paths. The sound of moving water provides a constant acoustic backdrop that masks any distant city noise and reinforces the sense of a private sanctuary.
A cedar sauna glows behind the monolithic stone bathing vessel
The lighting strategy is deliberately subtle. During the day, the deep overhangs of the roof manage the intensity of the sun to create a soft and indirect glow throughout the house. At night, integrated LEDs are used to highlight the texture of the stone walls and the silhouettes of the surrounding trees. This creates a cinematic quality where the architecture recedes and the landscape becomes the main protagonist. The lighting does not flood the space but instead guides the eye toward the "borrowed scenery" of the Taipei skyline in the distance.
Travertine walls and dark timber shelving frame the dining nook
The Chen Resort is a masterclass in the architecture of silence. It proves that luxury is not found in excessive ornamentation but in the quality of light and the clarity of space. By prioritizing the relationship between the human body and the natural world, CEADESIGN has created a dwelling that offers a profound sense of peace. It is a place where time seems to slow down and the city feels like a distant memory. This project stands as a quiet landmark of modern Taiwanese design that celebrates the enduring beauty of the mountains.
Green marble table grounds the dining room with geological weight
PHOTO CREDIT: Suiyu Studio
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