Hobbit House

Gukeng Township originally developed around the coffee industry, and the settlement still preserves numerous architectural traces from the postwar and agricultural periods. The project site was formerly a low-rise red brick house that had remained unused for many years. Although its exterior showed signs of aging, it embodied strong local memories and everyday life.
Rather than demolishing and rebuilding, the community chose to begin from the idea of “keeping what remains and using it well.” Through repair and adaptive reuse, the space was envisioned as a place for residents to gather and interact, allowing the land’s original vitality and historical continuity to be sustained.
The most distinctive feature of this project lies in its respect for historical context and its gentle response to the natural environment. During the renovation process, the original red brick walls, roof proportions, and scale of the old house were preserved. Only necessary repairs were carried out to ensure structural safety and functional use, allowing the building to retain its original appearance and visible marks of time.
The surrounding area integrates the remains of the Xiao family tobacco curing barn and the adjacent Puzzle Park, forming an imagery of a “Hobbit elf village.” The site offers coffee-dyeing experiences and resting spaces, symbolizing a community-driven village-making initiative.
At the same time, the design team observed long-term bat activity around the site. Openings along the side walls and eaves were intentionally retained, while excessive enclosure and strong artificial lighting were avoided, enabling bats to continue using the area as their habitat. As a result, the space serves not only as a gathering place for people but also as a shared environment where humans and nature coexist, reflecting the community’s considerate attitude toward both land and ecology.