Yulin Thatched Cottage is a teahouse located in a bustling area of Huizhou, Guangdong, transformed and completed by BDSD Boundless Design. The project embraces the core concept of "secluded naturalness," utilizing 2,958 bamboo poles as the primary material to create a tranquil space within the city that integrates Eastern aesthetics with modern experience.

The designers completely renovated a three-story street-facing building. By setting the structure back and enclosing it with bamboo fencing, they formed a distinct courtyard. The 1.8m-high bamboo hedges effectively block street noise, establishing a clear spatial rhythm between inside and outside. Drawing inspiration from Eastern gardens and Japanese karesansui, the courtyard incorporates elements like dry streams, stepping stones, trimmed pines, and a tsukubai (water basin) to construct a microcosmic landscape artistry, conveying the natural, quiet beauty of a Song Dynasty-style courtyard.

Inside the building, bamboo serves as the unifying design language, creating a coherent and orderly spatial structure. The designers employed array and parallel structures, applying bamboo to the ceiling, screens, display shelves, and stair railings, forming a composite system of crosshatched patterns that balances openness with transparency. All bamboo was precisely cut and drilled on-site to ensure aligned nodes and a rigorous structure, showcasing meticulous joinery craftsmanship.

The space is divided into two levels: the ground floor is an open public area conceived as a "bamboo forest," where moving figures create shifting light and shadow, offering a dynamic sensory experience; the second floor houses private tea rooms, with enlarged windows and curtains to modulate light, creating a soft and serene atmosphere. Techniques like strategic emptiness and framed views are used to guide visitors into introspection.

The project represents not only an innovative use of materials but also a profound response to nature and culture. The bamboo structure transitions between static and dynamic states; the grid system filters harsh light and guides airflow, allowing the space to "breathe" naturally over time and with human interaction. Yulin Thatched Cottage reinterprets the traditional tea space through a modern design language, realizing a poetic dwelling within the urban bustle—a place for wandering, sensing, and contemplation.