Clouhaus Hotel by RooMoo Design Studio

Perched at an altitude of 1,200 meters on the northern slope of Jinfo Mountain in Chongqing’s Nanchuan District, Clouhaus Hotel by RooMoo Design Studio represents a sensitive and deeply contextual transformation. Originally constructed as a sales office for a resort development, the five-level concrete structure has been sustainably reimagined into a 24-room boutique hotel, one that responds closely to the mountain’s ecology, material culture, and dramatic topography. Rather than erasing its origins, the project builds on what already existed—architecturally, culturally, and materially—to create an immersive mountain hospitality experience.

Reading the Mountain: Research as Design Foundation

Surrounded by dense forest and steep terrain, the site offers expansive views but limited accessibility. Before intervening architecturally, the design team undertook extensive field research, visiting nearby mountain villages and studying local construction methods, materials, and craftsmanship. This process revealed a rich vocabulary of bamboo techniques, stone assemblies, and frame-based structures shaped by climate and terrain.

These observations informed a design approach that translates local building logic and human traces into contemporary spatial language. The goal was not imitation, but reinterpretation—allowing architecture, landscape, and community to form a coherent narrative rooted in place.

Reworking the Existing Structure

A key principle of the project was the retention of the original structural frame, significantly reducing material waste and construction impact. The renovation reinterprets the traditional “frame-and-infill” system common in local architecture, reorganizing both façade articulation and internal circulation.

Eight vertical white structural columns emphasize the rhythm of the mountain slope, while horizontal elements—locally sourced bamboo panels and dragon-scale stone—anchor the building visually to the terrain. At the top level, the balcony extends outward as a semi-open bamboo canopy, where timber framing dissolves into filtered light and air, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior.

Arrival, Landscape, and First Impressions

The arrival sequence begins at an entrance square adjacent to a winding mountain road, designed as an extension of the landscape rather than a formal forecourt. Original site bricks, local gravel, and mountain stones are reused to shape the ground, while recycled timber—carbonized to enhance durability and texture—is combined with leftover concrete cores from renovation works to form partitions and visual screens.

Drawing inspiration from traditional bamboo railing techniques, bridges and courtyard fences are crafted from bamboo strips and green woven bands. These elements introduce lightness and rhythm, guiding visitors gently into the building while maintaining visual permeability toward the forest.

Public Spaces Along the Mountain Axis

Entry occurs at the top level, where the linear plan unfolds toward panoramic mountain views. The reception floor accommodates the lobby, lounge bar, multifunctional stage, and mezzanine offices, all oriented outward to the landscape. Spatial sequencing follows the natural slope, reinforcing a continuous visual and experiential connection to the surroundings.

Interior materials are deliberately tactile and expressive: bamboo shoot shells, reclaimed timber, carbonized wood, woven bamboo artworks, and black stone create layered textures and earthy tones. Many of these elements were developed in collaboration with local artisans, ensuring that craftsmanship remains a visible and active component of the architecture.

Dining Spaces and Material Reuse

The restaurant occupies an expanded ground-floor podium, where indoor dining gradually transitions into outdoor terraces overlooking the forest canopy. Here, the project’s commitment to reuse becomes most evident. Demolished red bricks, bamboo stair treads, semi-finished woven components, and reclaimed stone are reintegrated into walls, ceilings, and terrazzo flooring.

This strategy balances cost efficiency, environmental responsibility, and design quality, while reinforcing a strong local identity. The result is a dining environment that feels informal yet carefully composed, grounded in material honesty and landscape continuity.

Guest Rooms Facing the Forest

A total of twenty-five guest rooms—including courtyard suites, high-floor rooms, and standard units—are arranged in a fan-shaped plan oriented toward the mountain. This configuration maximizes views, natural light, and ventilation, while creating privacy and variation across room types.

Interiors adopt a calm, earth-toned palette, extending the hotel’s material language into private spaces. Structural frames remain legible, and handcrafted details subtly echo the public areas, ensuring spatial continuity throughout the building. Each room feels grounded, quiet, and deeply connected to nature.

Architecture as Cultural Continuity

Clouhaus Hotel is ultimately less about visual spectacle and more about attentive transformation. By retaining structure, reusing materials, and collaborating with local craft traditions, RooMoo Design Studio delivers a project where sustainability is inseparable from design intent.

Set within the forests of Jinfo Mountain, the hotel becomes a contemporary mountain dwelling—one that transforms an ordinary concrete shell into a place of retreat, memory, and belonging. It demonstrates how adaptive reuse, when guided by cultural understanding and material care, can produce architecture that feels both timeless and deeply local.

Photography: Wen Studio