Mocun Resort

Emotional Mapping Guides Adaptive Reuse in Bamboo Forest Retreat.

An adaptive reuse resort in Deqing reimagines historic buildings through emotional mapping, modular solutions and local craft, creating warm, cohesive interiors praised for inventiveness, heritage sensitivity and guest comfort.

Mocun Resort reimagines a century-old mountain retreat as a contemporary, culturally resonant destination while preserving its character. The brief demanded heritage sensitivity alongside a step change in guest comfort. Onoaa Studio anchored the project in emotional mapping, establishing an aesthetic and experiential tone that could unify more than 50 irregular room layouts without enforcing sameness.

A modular system underpins the execution: two-metre movable headboards shape zones, enhance privacy and conceal storage; convertible sofas extend flexibility for families. Locally sourced materials, including weathered pine, linen and custom yak-wool rugs, are elevated through precise craft, with tool marks retained and salvaged black-and-white tiles reused in the gardens. This handmade modernity produces a tactile, time-honouring palette that feels cohesive yet site-specific.

The result balances minimal restraint with warmth, achieving spaces that feel crafted, welcoming and true to place. Judges highlighted inventive functionality that turns constraints into luxuries, and praised the celebratory approach to history and the resort's immersive sense of escape. In short, Mocun delivers a quietly distinctive hospitality experience that prioritises narrative, material intelligence and guest ease over spectacle, setting a thoughtful benchmark for adaptive reuse in overnight accommodation.

The judges said: “This is a very strong curation of interior design elements. It manages to stay minimal while still feeling warm and cosy, creating a space that makes you feel at home right away.”