Wiki World sets Compact Red Retreat within Wuhan’s forest
Red Cabin is an experimental holiday home developed as part of the Merryda Wiki World – Secret Camp, a forest-based project composed of more than a dozen discreet treehouses set within a metasequoia woodland inhabited by migratory birds. The project, located in Dongxihu District, Wuhan, forms part of Wiki World’s ongoing ’Wiki Building School’ initiative, which explores alternative living models through co-building with nature.
The site is a dense metasequoia forest characterized by seasonal ecological activity and minimal human intervention. The cabin was positioned in direct response to existing vegetation, with all trees preserved and no ground hardening introduced. Construction relies on fully elevated prefabricated timber structures, allowing the forest floor to remain untouched and maintaining the site’s original ecological condition.
The cabin’s form and color were conceived in reference to a migratory bird, resulting in a compact wooden volume finished entirely in red. The structure stands out visually while remaining physically detached from the ground. The project is designed as an off-grid retreat, emphasizing isolation, limited access, and minimal intervention. Its remote placement reinforces a living condition defined by reduced infrastructure and direct engagement with the surrounding environment.
all images by Arch-Exist
Compact Interiors and Material-Driven Design define Red Cabin
The building is constructed entirely from laminated timber. All irregular components and joints were digitally designed and custom-fabricated, enabling a fully prefabricated assembly process. The structure follows a modular logic, allowing for efficient transportation, on-site assembly, disassembly, and potential reuse. Small metal connectors link timber elements and support repeated assembly without permanent alteration to the site.
Interior spaces are compact and deliberately constrained, aligning with Wiki World’s exploration of reduced spatial dimensions, including the concept of a ’2-meter-wide home.’ Each room includes a window oriented toward the forest, establishing visual continuity with the surroundings. The entrance facade is minimally articulated, marked only by a circular light and the doorway. Material strategies emphasize proximity to texture and construction detail. Carbonized wood boards, produced through traditional firing techniques, are used for the exterior cladding. The elevated structure eliminates the need for walls or artificial landscaping, allowing the surrounding forest to function as the primary spatial enclosure.
Red Cabin continues Hubei-based firm Wiki World’s broader research into small-scale wilderness dwellings that prioritize environmental responsiveness, prefabrication, and adaptable timber systems. By focusing on the relationship between living behavior and natural context rather than conventional residential standards, the project positions architecture as a lightweight, reversible intervention within the landscape.
Red Cabin is an experimental holiday home set within the Merryda Wiki World – Secret Camp
the project is located in a metasequoia forest in Dongxihu District, Wuhan
the site is defined by dense vegetation and seasonal ecological activity
the cabin is elevated above the forest floor to avoid ground disturbance
prefabricated timber systems allow the landscape to remain untouched
the compact structure is finished entirely in red
the form references the figure of a migratory bird
Red Cabin is designed as an off-grid retreat with limited infrastructure
the building is constructed entirely from laminated timber components
carbonized wood boards are used for the exterior cladding
interior spaces are compact and intentionally constrained
each room includes a window oriented toward the surrounding forest
the entrance facade is defined by a circular light and a single doorway
the project explores architecture as a lightweight and reversible intervention in nature
project info:
name: Merryda Wiki World-Red Cabin-[Wild Home #137]
architect: Wiki World | @wiki__world
design team: Mu Wei, Feng Zhaoxian, Wu Baorong, He Wen, Xu Xiaodong, Liao Xiaotian, Wang Yuanying, Chen Liang
location: Wuhan, China
photographer: Arch-Exist | @archexist
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edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
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