Our Forest / CTAA Architects Lab

Architects: CTAA Architects Lab
Area: 450 m²
Year: 2025
Photography: studiomillspace
Lead Architects: Cha Shao Yu
Architects Team: Cha Shao Yu, Tseng Yu Han
Contractor: FON JENG CO., LTD.
Structural Engineering: HONG MAI Engineering Consultant Co., Ltd.
Civil Engineering: CTAA Architects Lab
Environmental Sustainability: CTAA Architects Lab
Manufacturers: CTAALAB, DONGLONG PROJECT CO., LTD., Yamasa Mokuzai Co., Ltd.
Client: Private
City: Yunlin County
Country: Taiwan

Our Forest by CTAA Architects Lab is a residential project that pushes the expressive and technical limits of timber construction. Anchored by an expansive roof measuring 16 by 18 meters, the dwelling integrates cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued-laminated timber (GLT) in ways that both enhance performance and redefine the visual language of domestic architecture. The hyperbolic roof, rotated at 45 degrees, produces an array of shifting double-pitched profiles that infuse the interiors with light, shadow, and variation. Engineered with 396 individually curved elements and thousands of joints, the structure demonstrates how precision timber design can transcend conventional limits. Beyond its technical ambition, the house also prioritizes sustainability, using imported cypress wood from Japan to reduce carbon emissions by nearly 700 tons when compared to steel. The result is a home that marries structural innovation with sensory richness, offering a daily experience reminiscent of living within a forest canopy.

The central architectural gesture of the project is its vast roof, conceived as a unifying element that defines both the dwelling’s form and its interior atmosphere. By orienting the hyperbolic canopy on a diagonal, CTAA Architects Lab created a shifting relationship between ground plan and roof structure, allowing each room to receive a distinct interplay of light and shadow. This strategy transforms the residence into a series of differentiated environments while maintaining coherence under a single enveloping surface.

Material choice was critical in enabling this vision. The use of CLT and GLT allowed for spans and curvatures far exceeding the possibilities of traditional timber techniques. The roof, free of columns at its outer edges, projects outward to establish shaded transitional zones, blurring the distinction between interior and exterior. Varied roof heights further enrich the spatial experience, counteracting the compact proportions of the single-story layout while revealing the craftsmanship of the exposed wooden framework.

The complexity of the roof required a high degree of precision in fabrication and assembly. Each timber component was uniquely shaped, and more than 3,000 iron joints were designed to secure the structure. Despite its intricacy, the construction benefited from the efficiency of prefabricated timber systems, which reduced on-site time and simplified the building process. The aromatic presence of cypress wood contributed unexpectedly to the working environment, making construction itself an immersive and sensory experience.

The environmental ambitions of the project extend beyond material substitution. By choosing cypress over steel, the architects avoided significant carbon emissions, positioning the house as a demonstration of how low-carbon residential architecture can also achieve formal and aesthetic innovation. Lightweight construction techniques reduced not only ecological impact but also logistical challenges, allowing for rapid assembly without compromising quality.

For the inhabitants, the completed home offers a sensorial quality that goes beyond its technical sophistication. The natural fragrance of cypress infuses daily life with a calming presence, reinforcing the design’s intent to evoke the sensation of a forest retreat. The client’s description of returning home as a “forest bath” underscores how architecture can influence well-being through multisensory engagement with materials.

In its synthesis of engineering precision, environmental responsibility, and atmospheric design, Our Forest demonstrates a new direction for timber architecture in Taiwan. It challenges prevailing perceptions of wooden structures as limited in scale or form, instead presenting them as vehicles for both innovation and intimacy. By framing domestic life under a canopy that is simultaneously monumental and restorative, the project suggests a future where sustainability and beauty are inseparable qualities of contemporary design.