A Beautiful Brutalist Family Home

On our trip to Guangdong, we visited an interesting office of an interior designer in the middle of a forest. A pathway surrounded by greenery parts to reveal a majestic sight—a glass box floating in nature above a slow-moving river.

"The design of the spaces reveals a focus on creating healing environments. Houses are built for health, much like a living body," explained the designer.

“A house has a nose, eyes, and a heart. So when we plan a house, we consider this issue.”

The designer invited us to explore a brutalist home he designed, in contrast to his office. I was truly excited and curious at the same time and immediately accepted the offer. This home stands composed of rough surfaces, volumes, and light. Rough elements with rich textures recreate the beauty of nature.

A driveway brings us in from the street, curving around the house. We walk in among blooming flowers and the beautiful view of a pond.

“My name is Hun.T.W. Hung. I’m from Taiwan. This is a 20-year-old community, and the exterior of the building cannot be modified. It originally had over 400 square meters with split levels, and I organized it all. After the renovation, without changing the volume, it gained roughly an additional 400 square meters. This house now has an area of 1,000 square meters.”

“When guiding the entire path forward, we also descend half a level at the same time. The first floor becomes open, turning into the main entrance. In the basement, an incense room faces the pond. The ground floor houses the living and dining areas, while the first floor hosts the children’s and guest rooms. The second floor accommodates the master bedroom and various spaces for relaxation.”

For a family with many children, open spaces are created to play in. The living room introduces us to the brutalist style of this home, where curated art and furniture pieces add texture. With outward-facing furniture and glass sliding doors, the focal point is the lush greenery and the pond. The biggest change is that some areas have become more defined, and the overall integration of indoor and outdoor spaces feels more natural.

"The children are happier and more comfortable here because the space is more spacious,” explained the homeowner, Nana.

In the kitchen and dining area, a pillar demarcates the two spaces, ensuring better functionality by minimizing clutter and distractions for a better dining experience.

The basement is connected to the ground floor by a sloping walkway. A cozy space with an unusual slanted ceiling overlooks the pond. Full-height glass sliding doors create a serene incense room with interesting dimensions. The basement and ground floor align with large windows facing the pond.

A driveway provides access, but it also features a semi-outdoor area that offers shade.

“This is the landscape. The landscape is the core. In winter, it may not be used. If you don’t use the middle area, it will feel a bit more desolate,” the designer explained.

A fireplace under the wooden staircase stands in stark black against the white walls. Textured walls add a rustic feel to the space, complemented by wood and natural light.

“When you start a fire, the air moves. When the air moves, it draws air in, circulating it through each space.”

Wrapped in wood, the cantilevered staircase creates a floating effect for a modern look.

“I believe that the central position in this house is this staircase. It was renovated really well, and it has an open skylight above, allowing sunlight to pour down, making it truly great. This is the center of the house. We call it the ‘Bright Hall and Dark Room.’ In Chinese, it’s the concept of a hall—it needs to be very bright, brightening even the darker rooms,” said the designer.

On the first floor, where the children’s room is located, we are greeted by a spacious family hall serving as a multifunctional space for play and study. The first and third floors are made of stone, while the second floor is made of wood, a consideration for the children.

“The use of wood makes the space softer and cozier, so they won’t get hurt from collisions,” explained the designer.

Using board-marked concrete walls softens the cold appearance of raw concrete and adds a warm, textured finish. A unique aspect of the children’s rooms is their connection to a back garden, creating more spaces for play and interaction.

At the top floor, we are greeted by an open study. Irregular slopes in the ceiling add interesting depth and texture. By concealing lights in angled coves, it looks like natural light streaming in. The light, shaped in clean lines, showcases the intricate structure and enhances the geometry of space. This is a lighting design tip that mimics natural light.

“For a window, if we use it for ventilation, we make it about 60 cm small—like a nostril—to create the feeling of the wind.”

A narrow staircase leads us to the meditation room, with a singular source of light cocooned in brown, earthy walls. The master bedroom is enveloped in a clean, minimalist white, but what sets it apart is its open bedroom and bathroom concept. An open design creates a more spacious and seamless feel by eliminating walls, allowing natural light and ventilation.

Just when we think we’ve seen the entire master bedroom, concealed behind sliding doors is a visually pleasing sunroom—a light-filled space for relaxation and reading.

“After planning the layout, the part that fully expresses the spatial mood in my mind is the ceiling. First of all, you can’t touch the ceiling, and it has a certain completeness. The shape of the entire space is greatly influenced by ceiling elements. Air conditioning vents and lighting need to be addressed. By blending all of this together, you can see our ceiling is like the gills of a fish—it’s one cohesive piece.”

"Because this house was an existing structure, its proportions were controlled. Besides room planning, the layout had already been established. By using the ceiling, proportions of the space were adjusted and corrected."

"Many of the walls are made of local clay, remixed into a coating. All the furniture is custom-made, with wood shavings produced during furniture-making mixed with lacquer to create mud, applied to the surface of cabinets and made into paintings."

Another unique aspect of this home is how the air conditioning vents are seamlessly integrated into the ceiling, keeping the design identity cohesive.

This family home is designed in brutalist style—a minimalist style that emphasizes functionality over decoration. But what makes the home truly special are the hidden and surprising spaces curated for serenity and play.