Standing opposite a park overflowing with lush vegetation, this beautifully crafted home in Taiwan by architects Nameless Tree Design was inspired by nature. Named ‘House Between Small and Large’, the building, unsurprisingly, sits buttressed against a towering block to one side and a low-lying structure to the other, with open sight lines out over the park inspiring design elements and layout within. From the street, the home appears as a three-story townhouse, however, inside the layout consists of a multilevel arrangement with half-level platforms and an open atrium that stretches from the ground floor to the roof. The architects described this approach as the ‘strategic placing of “intermediate spaces” throughout the site, creating a space filled with horizontal and vertical courtyards.

This thoughtful layout promotes open connections throughout the home, inviting natural light to permeate enclosed areas shielded by the neighboring building. The architects opted for a wooden structure, first to minimize the site’s environmental impact and as an aesthetic decision, promoting the material’s natural beauty and allowing the joinery’s craftsmanship to shine. Natural materials such as mineral paint and earth walls were other facets of the environmentally-conscious approach.  

The combination of the open atrium, glorious natural light, tactile material choices, and living greenery inside the home create an oasis that matches the visible beauty of the neighboring park.

Photography © Shao Chi Ho