Project: Neolithic Hide Out - Background Design
For this project, I was given a brief to design a Neolithic-era house, deeply rooted in nature. To explore this, I chose to create a hideout for a small hidden village, with the concept of protecting itself from demons. The backstory I developed is as follows: The village hides in less conspicuous locations to remain undetected, with some inhabitants standing their ground, fortifying their homes. A few villagers go even further, shaping their homes to resemble animal gods or adding symbols associated with these deities to ward off malevolent forces. To begin, I immersed myself in real-world research, studying various military and civilian duffle bags to understand the design elements that made them both functional and iconic. I focused on the size, construction, and aesthetic of these bags. My goal was to incorporate these details into the design, ensuring that the bag felt lived-in and practical.
To ground my design in authenticity, I began by gathering references for Neolithic architecture. I created a mood board filled with historical images and illustrations of Pit Houses (older American Southwest settlements), Banpo (ancient Chinese settlements), and Barrow Tombs/Passage Graves (early European settlements), which helped me understand the key elements of the period—earth-based structures, circular forms, and natural materials. The mood board provided a visual foundation to inspire my design while keeping the historical context in mind.
Armed with a clear vision, I set to work developing 15 different sketches, each exploring various configurations of the hideout, taking into account the environment, terrain, and materials available. I started with rough ideas of earthworks, stone structures, and woven reed walls. I experimented with camouflage techniques, showing how the hideout could blend seamlessly into its surroundings—either by burrowing into the ground or by using surrounding vegetation for concealment. To ensure I stayed grounded in realistic design, I also did 5 study sketches (placed on the left side of the page) that focused on specific architectural elements—like roof structures, entrances, and wall patterns. These sketches helped me further refine the shapes and details of the hideout, as well as incorporate design choices that could evoke the village’s symbolic relationship with nature and its gods.
After reviewing my designs, I decided to move forward with Design #3 and Design #13. While I appreciated the camouflage concept in Design #3, I found the idea of elevating the house off the ground in Design #13 to be even more intriguing. This led me to shift my focus toward a treehouse design. I also revisited the narrative to align it with the new direction I was taking. I imagined that the treehouse could incorporate plant life that serves a dual purpose—acting as both stairs and defense mechanisms. To further this concept, I conducted additional research on plants and herbs, ultimately discovering that certain mushrooms could be utilized for both camouflage and structural elements, such as stairways. This not only enhanced the practical design of the hideout but also deepened its connection to the environment and the story I was creating.
Through this project, I discovered a deeper interest in organic architecture—designs that integrate seamlessly with the natural environment. I found that working with organic forms, like plants, trees, and natural materials, provided a unique sense of freedom and imperfection that I didn’t find in more rigid, solid structures. This approach allowed me to explore more dynamic, evolving forms that felt more alive and authentic to the world I was designing.
The design process was challenging, particularly when it came to creating the orthographic views of the treehouse. Incorporating the tree into these views proved difficult, as it wasn’t a static structure but something that required more flexibility in representation. Looking back, I realize that it may have been better not to include the tree in the orthos, as it made the technical side of the design less visible. Not only that but I should have added more greenery to show how much herbs were really being used, causing the scarcity. However, this experience taught me a valuable lesson in balancing technical accuracy with creative exploration, and in the future, I’ll approach these kinds of challenges with more focus on the practical aspects of my designs.