This small, serene village in Huairou province is two hours by car from Beijing. By locating the building in a natural setting instead of in the village centre the architects have enhanced the beauty of the site. A five-minute walk leads to the building, whose stacks are hidden in the site’s topography. The design gives centre stage to the landscape, in part by merging the building’s facade with surrounding trees. Twigs form the facade’s outermost layer. This unusual use of a commonplace material ennobles it; the sharp edges of the steel and reinforced concrete reinforce the effect. The twigs function as a foil to the regular timber-clad grid and filter the strong sunlight, creating an ideal environment for reading.