A groundbreaking residential project in Taiwan showcases how innovative timber construction techniques can create unified living spaces under a single expansive roof. The "Our Forest" residence, designed by CTAA ARCHITECT/LAB, demonstrates the potential of contemporary timber architecture through its combination of exposed concrete load-bearing walls and cypress cross-laminated timber (CLT) roof panels. The project explores how one large curved roof can bring together diverse spatial functions while introducing new material applications and construction methods.
The building's most striking feature is its hyperbolic roof, which has been rotated 45 degrees to interact with the orthogonal interior layout below. This geometric relationship generates varied double-pitched roof forms that create dynamic visual effects throughout the day as patterns of light and shadow shift across the interior spaces. The curved roof spans an impressive 16 meters by 18 meters, achieved through the use of both CLT and glued laminated timber (GLT) construction techniques that allow for extended cantilevers and greater curvature than conventional timber construction methods.
To address the specific site conditions, architects kept the single-story volume slightly lower than the surrounding houses while raising the roof to a height of 5.8 meters. This design strategy, combined with different roof heights and layered eaves, adds vertical depth to ensure the structure maintains a strong presence without appearing diminished compared to neighboring buildings. The exposed wooden framework serves to further emphasize both the impressive scale and exceptional craftsmanship involved in the roof's construction.
The technical complexity of the hyperbolic GLT roof is remarkable, consisting of 396 individual timber pieces, each crafted with a unique curvature and connected through more than 3,000 steel joints. The structure achieves a careful balance between linear and planar elements, with the roof supported by 46 CLT pitched roof segments, each measuring 2 by 3 meters. The bowl-shaped canopy rests entirely on the perimeter roof edges without requiring additional columns, creating multiple shaded zones and framing distinctive spatial experiences beneath.
The design team at CTAA ARCHITECT/LAB conceived the structure as an interconnected environment where the expansive roof serves as the unifying element that links the building's different areas into a cohesive whole. The roof's impressive scale and complex geometry establish a sense of continuity throughout the residence, while its materiality and advanced construction techniques demonstrate the evolving possibilities within contemporary timber architecture. This approach effectively redefines conventional timber construction by combining bold architectural expression with high-level structural performance, setting a new standard for residential design in the region.
