The architecture firm Behet Bondzio Lin Architekten received a special commission to design a tea pavilion in the city of Changhua, on top of a hill, fully exposed to the southern sun and strong winds coming from the northeast, in the South of Taichung City, Taiwan.

The tea ceremony is an ancestral act accompanied by a great tradition that reflects a special bond with nature. This special relationship with nature meant that when the client commissioned the tea pavilion, he put as a special condition that it did not require artificial air conditioning systems to achieve the thermal comfort of the space.
Behet Bondzio Lin Architekten designed the pavilion in the middle of an oval-shaped water pond elevated 60cm over the water level on the east side and 30 cm on the west side, helping to improve the space comfortable, and increasing the relative humidity in the air.

The shape uses two staggered, south-facing curved concrete plates that help to control the airflow and introduce a pleasant southern wind into the space. This design allows solar radiation into the space, washing over the tea table’s surface during the colder season.


Watermoon Tea House by Behet Bondzio Lin Architekten. Photograph by YuChen Chao Photography.


Watermoon Tea House by Behet Bondzio Lin Architekten. Photograph by YuChen Chao Photography.
 

Project description by Behet Bondzio Lin Architekten

The client’s main request was to have a tea pavilion located on Watermoon Mountain that does not require artificial air conditioning systems to achieve thermal comfort in the space. But due to its location on top of this hill, the building is completely exposed to the sun from the south and the strong winds coming from the northeast.

The design uses two staggered, south-facing curved concrete plates that help to control the airflow and introduce a pleasant southern wind into the space. The vertical dislocation between the two curved plates and the horizontal concrete plate that canopies the front platform allows solar radiation into the space washing over the tea table’s surface during the colder season.


Watermoon Tea House by Behet Bondzio Lin Architekten. Photograph by YuChen Chao Photography.

The triangular-shaped Burmese Teak wood lattice located on the north facade blocks the strong unpleasant winds coming from the northeast.

The pivoting doors also made of Burmese Teak wood that is located on the perimeter of the plan allow for better control of the light and direct airflow into the main lounge space.

The pavilion stands as an island in the middle of an oval-shaped water pond elevated 60cm over the water level on the east side and 30 cm on the west side. The level changes on the pond allow for a natural water flow and help improve the space comfort, increasing the relative humidity in the air that flows into the space during the hot season.

More information

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Architects
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Behet Bondzio Lin Architekten. Lead architect.- Yu-Han Michael Lin.
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Project team
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Behet Bondzio Lin Architekten.
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Construction
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RC construction.
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Area / dimensions
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Plot Area.- 3017 m².
Footprint.- 113.9 m².
Gross Built Area.- 94.65 m².
Total Building Height.- 5.7m above the water level.
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Dates
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Design period.- 2015 – 2017.
Construction period.- 2016 – 2017.
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Location
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Changhua City, Taiwan.
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Photography
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Behet Bondzio Lin Architekten is a firm founded by Martin Behet, Roland Bondzio, Yu-han Michael Lin.

Martin Behet, born 1965 in Cologne. Carpenter training. Architectural studies TU Braunschweig; ETH Zurich. Chair Per Krusche. Professional stations: GPS Gondesen Piachnow Staack, Braunschweig; Gatermann, Schossig & Partner, Cologne; Kister Scheithauer Gross, Cologne; Manfred Bukowski, Münster. 2000 Founding of the office Behet + Bondzio. 2003 Foundation of the office behet bondzio lin Architekten Münster | Leipzig | Taichung. Since 2017 member of the board of BDA Münster-Münsterland.

Roland Bondzio, born 1966 in Bielefeld. Architectural studies TU Braunschweig; ETSA Barcelona; Architecture Center Vienna. Chair Meinhard von Gerkan. Career: Casa Blanca, Brunswick; Enric Miralles, Barcelona; Walter Gebhardt, Hamburg; Bolles + Wilson, Münster. 2000 Founding of the office Behet + Bondzio. 2003 Foundation of the office behet bondzio lin Architekten Münster | Leipzig | Taichung. Teaching: Research Assistant at the Chair of Design and Constructing, University of Hannover. Teaching assignments at the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau and the Münster School of Architecture. Since 2014 chairman of the design advisory board of the city of Greven. Member of the Förderverein Bundesstiftung Baukultur e.V. Since 2015 member of the board of BDA Münster-Münsterland

Yu-han Michael Lin, born 1967 in Taipei. Studied architecture at Tunghai University, Taizhong, Taiwan; Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, USA. Chair Rafael Moneo. Career: Fei & Chen Partner, Taipei, Taiwan; And8, Hamburg; Bolles + Wilson, Münster. 2003 Foundation of the office behet bondzio lin Architekten Münster | Leipzig | Taichung. Lectureship: Visiting Professor Department of Architecture Shih Chien University, Taipei, Taiwan. Associate Professor, Graduate Institute of Architecture NCTU, Hsinchu City, Taiwan. Associate Professor, Department of Architecture Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan
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Published on: January 23, 2023
Cite: "Without artificial air conditioning systems. Watermoon Tea House by Behet Bondzio Lin Architekten" METALOCUS. Accessed
<http://www.metalocus.es/en/news/without-artificial-air-conditioning-systems-watermoon-tea-house-behet-bondzio-lin-architekten> ISSN 1139-6415
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