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Yunshan Building at Howard Resort Xitou
Yunshan Building at Howard Resort Xitou
Taiwan
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Yunshan Building at Howard Resort Xitou
Taiwan
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2023
SIZE
25,000 sqft - 100,000 sqft
BUDGET
Undisclosed
Yunshan Building – A Regenerated Ecological Education Center, Reconnecting Nature and Community with the Spirit of Forest Home
Designed and renovated by VAL over the course of a year, the former Howard Resort restaurant " Yunshan Building " in Xitou is now completed and officially open to the public. Originally an outdated, enclosed, and single-functioned dining building, VAL’s redesign has transformed it into a multifunctional and inviting "Forest Home." Upon entering the Yunshan Building, visitors can sense the forest's aroma and immerse themselves in a green ecological experience enveloped by the forest. Embracing its surroundings, the Yunshan Building initiates explorations into nature and has become a favorite among tourists. VAL is committed to listening to the voices of urban environments, functions, and users, conveying design narratives through architecture and space.
In collaboration with Fu Shan International Hotel Management Consulting Co., Ltd. under Howard Hotel Group and OD Studio, VAL participated in the renovation and restoration design of Howard Resort Xitou, a project that received the 20th Taiwan Golden Thumb Awards For Public Private Partnership.
Background: Situated within the 2,200-hectare Xitou Nature Education Area in the central mountains of Taiwan, Yunshan Building serves as an experimental forest of a national university, facilitating various training, teaching internships, and observations for domestic and international academic institutions. Its primary mission is to promote natural education and ecological conservation among the public.
Loss of Functionality and Turning Point: Originally built in 1997 as a restaurant within the park, alongside other accommodation buildings constructed between 1966 and 1996, the Yunshan Building suffered functional decline under private management from 2004 due to poor operation and maintenance. As a result, its role as an ecological education and tourism base diminished, gradually fading into obscurity. The university regained management rights in 2018 and proposed the “Promoting Private Participation in Public Construction OT Case" in 2020, marking a turning point for the regeneration of the Xitou Nature Education Area.
Environmental and Community Win-Win through Public-and-Private Partnership: This OT case aims to transfer operational management through private resources and experience, achieving a win-win outcome for the government, businesses, and environmental communities. With a management period of 12 years, considerations from the outset encompass resource investment, renovation, image enhancement, and future operations.
Concept and Execution: The renovation of the restaurant building into a regenerated ecological education center represents the first project of its kind. It has evolved from a mere dining facility to include new functions such as a hotel reception lobby, café, artisan workshop, and outdoor exhibition space—a welcoming forest home for visitors and a place for relaxing immersion in the upcoming eco-slow-living journey. Initiated during the pandemic, the design and construction faced challenges of rising costs and limited manpower in mountainous regions, yet it maintained a clear intent for renovation with reduced environmental impact using local techniques and materials to evoke a sense of place amidst the forest, mist, light, animals, and stars. Concurrently, the hotel group's operation and management philosophy further utilizes local ingredients to create distinctive cuisine, employing local and indigenous staff, fostering a circular economic relationship with surrounding townships, thereby promoting a healthier, more confident, and ecological community system—a significant goal and achievement of this transformation and regeneration process.
Derivative Vitality and Opportunities: With the completion of the Yunshan Building, illuminated by warm lights under the mist, nighttime ecological tours and daytime nature experiences have increased. Through public construction, corporate principles, and design combined with the regenerated park imagery, the vitality of eco-tourism and sustainability in management and economics has been achieved. This has also paved the way for the revitalization of several other buildings and opportunities for deeper mountain observatories, mountain tourism, and educational spaces. In this era of increasing global environmental challenges, we look forward to contributions and calls for environmental regeneration and sustainability through government initiatives, civilian resources, and design concepts.
Hear the voice, and let the voice be heard!
Project name: Yunshan Building at Howard Resort Xitou in Taiwan
Project type: Architecture and interior renovation
Design: VAL (Voice Architecture Lab)
Website: https://www.voicearchitecture.com
Design year:2020/07 - 2022/02
Completion Year: 2023
Leader designer & Team: Lead Architects: Yu-Chieh Chiang；Design Team: Frank Chiang, Tessa Wang, Shan Lou, Bin Yan, Tim Wu, Carl Wang, Yuju Wang, Renzhen Shi, Yannie Liu, Michael Zhou
Project location: Nantou, Taiwan
Gross built area: 3000㎡
Photo credit: OS Studio
Partner: Interior design: OD Studio
Clients: Fu Shan International Hotel Management Consulting Co., Ltd.
Designed and renovated by VAL over the course of a year, the former Howard Resort restaurant " Yunshan Building " in Xitou is now completed and officially open to the public. Originally an outdated, enclosed, and single-functioned dining building, VAL’s redesign has transformed it into a multifunctional and inviting "Forest Home." Upon entering the Yunshan Building, visitors can sense the forest's aroma and immerse themselves in a green ecological experience enveloped by the forest. Embracing its surroundings, the Yunshan Building initiates explorations into nature and has become a favorite among tourists. VAL is committed to listening to the voices of urban environments, functions, and users, conveying design narratives through architecture and space.
In collaboration with Fu Shan International Hotel Management Consulting Co., Ltd. under Howard Hotel Group and OD Studio, VAL participated in the renovation and restoration design of Howard Resort Xitou, a project that received the 20th Taiwan Golden Thumb Awards For Public Private Partnership.
Background: Situated within the 2,200-hectare Xitou Nature Education Area in the central mountains of Taiwan, Yunshan Building serves as an experimental forest of a national university, facilitating various training, teaching internships, and observations for domestic and international academic institutions. Its primary mission is to promote natural education and ecological conservation among the public.
Loss of Functionality and Turning Point: Originally built in 1997 as a restaurant within the park, alongside other accommodation buildings constructed between 1966 and 1996, the Yunshan Building suffered functional decline under private management from 2004 due to poor operation and maintenance. As a result, its role as an ecological education and tourism base diminished, gradually fading into obscurity. The university regained management rights in 2018 and proposed the “Promoting Private Participation in Public Construction OT Case" in 2020, marking a turning point for the regeneration of the Xitou Nature Education Area.
Environmental and Community Win-Win through Public-and-Private Partnership: This OT case aims to transfer operational management through private resources and experience, achieving a win-win outcome for the government, businesses, and environmental communities. With a management period of 12 years, considerations from the outset encompass resource investment, renovation, image enhancement, and future operations.
Concept and Execution: The renovation of the restaurant building into a regenerated ecological education center represents the first project of its kind. It has evolved from a mere dining facility to include new functions such as a hotel reception lobby, café, artisan workshop, and outdoor exhibition space—a welcoming forest home for visitors and a place for relaxing immersion in the upcoming eco-slow-living journey. Initiated during the pandemic, the design and construction faced challenges of rising costs and limited manpower in mountainous regions, yet it maintained a clear intent for renovation with reduced environmental impact using local techniques and materials to evoke a sense of place amidst the forest, mist, light, animals, and stars. Concurrently, the hotel group's operation and management philosophy further utilizes local ingredients to create distinctive cuisine, employing local and indigenous staff, fostering a circular economic relationship with surrounding townships, thereby promoting a healthier, more confident, and ecological community system—a significant goal and achievement of this transformation and regeneration process.
Derivative Vitality and Opportunities: With the completion of the Yunshan Building, illuminated by warm lights under the mist, nighttime ecological tours and daytime nature experiences have increased. Through public construction, corporate principles, and design combined with the regenerated park imagery, the vitality of eco-tourism and sustainability in management and economics has been achieved. This has also paved the way for the revitalization of several other buildings and opportunities for deeper mountain observatories, mountain tourism, and educational spaces. In this era of increasing global environmental challenges, we look forward to contributions and calls for environmental regeneration and sustainability through government initiatives, civilian resources, and design concepts.
Hear the voice, and let the voice be heard!
Project name: Yunshan Building at Howard Resort Xitou in Taiwan
Project type: Architecture and interior renovation
Design: VAL (Voice Architecture Lab)
Website: https://www.voicearchitecture.com
Design year:2020/07 - 2022/02
Completion Year: 2023
Leader designer & Team: Lead Architects: Yu-Chieh Chiang；Design Team: Frank Chiang, Tessa Wang, Shan Lou, Bin Yan, Tim Wu, Carl Wang, Yuju Wang, Renzhen Shi, Yannie Liu, Michael Zhou
Project location: Nantou, Taiwan
Gross built area: 3000㎡
Photo credit: OS Studio
Partner: Interior design: OD Studio
Clients: Fu Shan International Hotel Management Consulting Co., Ltd.
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