NORLHA ATELIER [GANNAN TIBETAN AUTONOMOUS PREFECTURE, CHINA]
Norlha – an artisan yak-wool atelier in the nomadic community of Ritoma Village – continues to grow and expand, leading to the construction of a new Artist Residency building for visiting artists and collaborators, a renewed guest house pavilion, and a newfound need for a cohesive site design to create a unified site identity.
Designed in collaboration with Christine Facella of Modest, the atelier campus was redesigned to reinforce the intrinsic connection between Norlha and the unique alpine landscape of the plateau. Local stone, indigenous masonry techniques, and alpine plantings highlight the longstanding relationship between this natural-fiber atelier and its unique environment.
Plant material selection was informed by local knowledge – prioritizing plants that thrive despite the harsh challenges of the plateau – from bitterly cold and dessicative winters, regular ruminant grazing, to intense summer heat.