Flower Room: A Living Laboratory of Nature by Office for Roundtable + JXY Studio

Nestled at the intersection of countryside and forest in Huizhou, China, Flower Room is a poetic dialogue between architecture and ecology. Designed by JXY Studio and Office for Roundtable, this 10 m² installation serves as a micro-laboratory for biodiversity, showcasing an intimate interaction between plants, insects, and other wildlife. Unlike conventional greenhouses that rely on controlled environments, Flower Room is open, porous, and responsive to nature, welcoming sunlight, rain, wind, and the gentle visit of birds, bees, and butterflies.

Ecological Restoration Through Design

The surrounding forest faces ecological stress due to invasive species like bittersweet vine, which block sunlight and limit native plant growth. Flower Room addresses this environmental challenge by elevating native plants in vertical planting racks, positioning flower boxes at varying heights and orientations. This strategic arrangement creates diverse microclimates, allowing plants to thrive away from invasive species and promoting the regeneration of local biodiversity.

A Living Stage for More-than-Human Life

Inside Flower Room, plants grow at their own pace—some bloom, others bear fruit, while some accumulate seeds and roots. This dynamic ecosystem becomes a stage for life’s cycles: pollination, seed dispersal, and the foraging of birds and insects unfold naturally. By embracing these interactions, Flower Room fosters a holistic understanding of ecological systems, demonstrating that biodiversity can flourish even in small, temporary installations.

Innovative, Lightweight Construction

Constructed with a lightweight stainless-steel frame, Flower Room emphasizes modularity and adaptability. Its interlocking components provide structural stability while minimizing soil disruption, making it a replicable model for future ecological interventions. The installation’s careful design enhances spatial diversity, enabling unique experiences in urban and rural natural settings alike.

A Tender Conversation with Nature

Flower Room is more than a temporary installation—it is a living experiment in ecological restoration, magnifying the rhythms and flows of life within a compact footprint. Even within five square meters, it demonstrates that ecology is not confined to vast protected lands: life, care, and biodiversity can thrive in small, thoughtful interventions. This project is a celebration of nature’s resilience, encouraging viewers to observe, respect, and participate in the cycles of life.

All photographs are works of Jiaxun Xu, Leyuan Li