Location: Liyang, China.

Architect: AchterboschZantman en.

The Meijie Valley Eco resort is a holiday destination located in a green woody area near Liyang, between the cities of Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou. The resort features 40 tree-top holiday dwellings, six spa units, and a large spa-clubhouse. The clubhouse and spa houses-volumes balance on the rocks, giving the buildings their ‘floating’ character. The energy for the treetop houses and clubhouse is collected by burning woodchips from the bushes and is generated by solar panels on the roof. The water used for the showers and the baths is collected from a local hot spring. Food is mostly local, and electric cars are used for the transport of the visitors. The tree-top houses are lifted on high poles between the bamboo-trees and overlook the beautiful valley with fields filled with tea plants, ponds, and a lake. The design of the villas is an example of how buildings can be integrated within the countryside surrounding in a simple and minimalistic way. The houses are designed with a removable facade to eliminate any kind of separation between the rooms and the natural setting. The neutral tones of the wood unite the house with its surroundings, and its structure harmonizes with the vertical lines of the trees. The environment is introduced into the house visually, minimizing the limits between the interior and exterior spaces. The minimalistic structure presents as a puzzle of a transparent and closed volume. The facade has been tuned on the natural surroundings. The rough timber cladding gives the house the look of tree bark. The living area is totally transparent and is situated at the valley side. Its position in between the leaves gives all the privacy you need. The entrance, bedrooms, and bathrooms are closed at the hillside and open up at the valley, which gives a spectacular view. Different exchange projects between Liyang and Leeuwarden have been started, based on exchange knowledge of food and culture.