Bao Lam Retreat Reveals a Red-Stone Haven
Bao Lam Retreat stands in Lam Dong, Vietnam, as a house shaped for quiet retreat in the highlands, designed by 6717studio. Curving along the slope and opening to forests and distant peaks, the project turns a private dwelling into a place for emotional reset. Large glazing, red-toned walls, and open interiors frame the landscape while sustaining a close, daily dialogue with the region’s cool air and changing light.
Mist gathers over the highland valleys as the house hugs the hillside, its curved walls catching early light. From the terrace, distant peaks line the horizon, and cool air moves through the open rooms in a steady, gentle drift.
This house in Lam Dong is conceived by 6717studio as a retreat that leans into the region’s climate and terrain rather than resisting them. Set near a pristine forest and overlooking tea hills, the project uses its curving plan, open volumes, and layered materials to hold warmth while drawing in light, breeze, and long views. Every move keeps the highland context in view, from the red earth-toned walls to the meditative path that stretches toward the surrounding wilderness.
Curving With The Highlands
The house follows the sloping topography, tracing contour lines instead of cutting into them. Its sweeping curves wrap the hillside, so each room looks outward toward valleys and distant mountains while still feeling grounded by the terrain. Set close to the forest edge, the building gains a natural green buffer that deepens privacy and softens wind and rain.
Curved volumes shape a series of sheltered outdoor terraces where the highland air can be felt without exposure to harsh weather. These arcs are not simply formal moves – they guide movement along the slope and widen at key moments into broad openings for panoramic views.
Light, Air, And Views
Large voids punctuate the solid curves, allowing daylight and ventilation to slip deep into the interior. A central void on the ground floor subtly separates living room and kitchen yet keeps an airy, shared volume where cross-breezes flow. Above, a skylight pulls sunlight straight down, brightening the core and balancing the softer lateral light from broad windows.
Glazing frames the surroundings like changing paintings, from close-up foliage to far-off peaks, so daily life stays tied to clouds, mist, and shifting color on the hills. In the upper-level bedrooms, generous glass openings extend morning and evening views, making the highland horizon part of the everyday routine.
Earthy Structure And Interior Warmth
Red earth-toned faux stone walls wrap the curving façade, giving the house a robust skin against highland rain and potential surface cracking from its expansive surfaces. This same envelope anchors the building visually to the region’s soil, reinforcing the impression that it rises from the ground. Locally sourced Lam Dong stone at the entrance steps continues the connection, where each tread reads as part of the landscape.
Inside, deep gray polished stone stairs play against the warm red of kitchen countertops and the rich, dark wood elements. This contrast adds depth and warmth, so the interior feels grounded even as it opens widely to views. On the ground floor, an open layout keeps movement fluid, with furniture and the central void doing the work of defining living and cooking zones.
A Path Into Stillness
From the outdoor terrace, a narrow path extends toward a secluded Buddha statue, turning a simple walk into a slow, deliberate sequence through air and landscape. The route ends at a quiet clearing where tea hills and rolling forests unfurl below, giving a place to pause rather than pass through.
This path links house, occupant, and distant scenery in a single line, so reflection is built into the daily route outdoors. By the time one returns to the curved walls and warm stone, the highland light has shifted again, reminding the resident of the wider landscape that shapes every part of this retreat.
In the late afternoon, as shadows slide across the red-toned façade, the house settles back into the hillside. Interior rooms glow against the darkening forest, still open to breeze and view yet sheltered from the weather. Bao Lam Retreat holds this balance between exposure and refuge, using the highland climate not as a backdrop but as an active part of how the house is lived in.
Photography courtesy of 6717studio
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