‘Bamboo Retreat’ is an apt name for this sensitively designed apartment in Hong Kong. Taking cues from the family of four’s fondness for Kyoto’s famous bamboo forests, as well as an Eastern philosophy of mindfulness more generally, the designers have sought to create a simple apartment defined by pockets of peace, sanctuary and retreat.
The simplicity and understated approach are felt most keenly in the materiality of the project. Timber is clearly the driving force, again drawing directly on the bamboo forest inspiration. The brief specified a harmonious blend of earthy materials and subtle textures to reflect the family’s shared love for nature and spiritual sensibilities.
Upon entry, the visitor (or resident) is greeted by a floor-to-ceiling shoe cabinet clad entirely in hand-glazed green ceramic tiles designed to evoke bamboo leaves. Moving further into the interior, the artisan green tiles transition into the living room where they are inset into the wooden vertical struts along the display cabinetry stretching across the length of the room.
In this relatively small project, a key focal point in the space is the transition between communal and private areas. The designers at CGD have marked this out with a – you guessed it – wooden threshold, set between rows of display cabinets. The use of timber remains consistent throughout, though with plenty of gracefully rounded edges and differentiated pieces of custom joinery it avoids monotony and instead achieves that overall sense of understated elegance.
Another important feature is the curved ceiling. Crafted using timber and designed to evoke the natural forms of a bamboo forest, it continues the consistent themes that define the project. A series of horizontal wooden slats conceal light tracks set along the roof at regular intervals.
Other features include wooden wall linings, cylindrical window mullions, and rounded wall mouldings and skirtings, while cream bouclé fabric and green velvet upholstery add to the sense of being within a (slightly refined, luxury) cabin setting. Ambient cove lighting also washes over the warm white plastered vaulted ceilings of the bedrooms and the study.
The residence is set on a cliff overlooking the sea. This, along with the organic forms, earthy textures and refined simplicity, ensure that Bamboo Retreat is an escape from busy urban life and instead transports its residents to something more like a peaceful Kyoto forest setting.
