The Urban Mountain III is a high-rise residential complex created for people who want to live in nature while remaining in the city. This building was also a response to the devastating earthquake in 1999, when architects put their heads together to create an alternative form of housing respecting both nature and the needs of society.
This unique eco-friendly building was designed by the Banmu Tang Environmental Integration Group, which has proudly restored the natural landscape in a busy urban environment. The complex is set close to Hsinchu’s high-speed railway line and emulates the features of Li-Tou Mountain, reflecting the architecture’s deep understanding of ecology, botany, and a way of life that inspired them.
Thanks to the trees that have been planted and how it imitates the natural environment, the building can accommodate not only residents, but also birds and fish in order to create an entire ecosystem.
The trees on each balcony are the vertical green skin of all three residences. This method provides protection from the heat and is also a wildlife corridor via the tree canopies.
The complex’s greening coverage rate is as high as 260%, which includes edible plants with ethnobotanical values that celebrate the harvesting process and experience life at its purest. Each apartment has 3 rooms on average and interior walls are made of non-toxic building materials with dampness minimizing properties and the ability to provide a constant temperature. In the center of the complex is a canteen with a kiln, a permaculture farm, and paths to other parts of the property.
The dining room is flooded with sunlight and functions as a common shared space for residents. The building also offers a wellness zone with a gym, a multipurpose room for meditation or yoga, all to the sounds of mother nature. At the very top of the building is a traditional tea room constructed of wood and mud. Its design encourages the circulation of air gently scented of wood.
The Urban Mountain III has many health benefits hidden in its myriad features and paves the way for a lifestyle we’ve forgotten about due to our fast-paced lives. Residents can pick fruit, herbs, and flowers right outside their homes and rediscover the charms of being connected to nature. The residential complex offers a unique private landscape hidden within a bustling big city and aims to inspire the development of similar projects.
The Urban Mountain III project consists of a total of 10 apartment units.
