Well of Light

Designing a Harmonious Dialogue Between Human, Space, and Nature

As this project is situated in the enchanting Yang-Ming Mountain, designer Pei-Lin Hsieh opted to capitalize on its exceptionally ample light in crafting a harmonious dialogue between human, space, and natural environment. The public domain is an open space demarcated with various floor elevations so as to allow poured in light to diffuse throughout various parts of space, while creating independent spatial usage with visual access interwoven in between, an essential domain for family gathering.

The back-wall to the living room couch is given a wooden material vocabulary and clean-cut grooved lining depicting an elevation of modern culture, as the partitioning at the overlapping section of public and private domains is matched with grey-blue and timber colors to give a clean visual of the corridor, and shaping an elegant interior vista. The wooden materiality and its visual warmth are extended into the bedrooms, where wardrobe door panels are cladded with bright-colored wooden skin which injects a refreshing energy into a tranquil resting ambiance. The bathroom space is shaped with exquisite masonry texture, using white rock-face tile instead of marble to achieve an anti-slippery effect.

The interior space covers an area of 120 square meters, and through meticulous layout and circulation planning, the design maximizes spatial visual depth to give the owner a care-free living stage. The space is centered on a large visible column which dictates the planning of bathroom and storage spaces, highlighting the structural element as an aesthetics advantage. Multiple materials are deployed to achieve an overall consistency that renders the intermediate space as the node of emotional transition.

The corridor, often overlooked in general design, is seen as a space of flexibility for recreational events. Multi-functional spaces are demarcated by wooden grill sliding doors, allowing sunlight to flood the interior domains and creating a serene ambiance. The long corridor extended from the entrance is permeated with visual aesthetics of purity in its materiality and color-tones. The width of the corridor is precisely planned to make it part of the space of recreation, for the enjoyment of family members.

The design project was completed in November 2017 in Taipei, Taiwan. The near-retirement couple who owned the project desired an open-planning spatial strategy to shape a network of multi-functional spaces of flexibility and interconnectivity, indulging family members in a free and interaction-rich living ambiance. The design incorporates large glass areas in the living and kitchen-dining rooms to allow exterior views to flow into the interior, blurring the boundary between the urban and the natural.

The Well of Light design was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in 2018 in the Interior Space, Retail, and Exhibition Design category. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding and creatively ingenious designs that authenticate experience and resourcefulness. The design exhibits strong technical and creative skills, contributing to quality of life improvements and making the world a better place.