fbpx
Close

Full circle with Timothy Oulton

Oulton reveals Dome Home - a contemporary creative hub in south China.

Dome Home exterior

Forget the urban oasis. Timothy Oulton is once again ahead of the curve, creating an inspirational design hub for his brand’s designers: The Dome Home in Gaoming in southern China.

Dome Home interior

“Often, the best ideas come during down times, when people – designers – congregate and just discuss things that are not related to design; and that is what this company is trying to do,” says Simon Laws, Project Designer for the Dome Home.

This revolutionary project reflects the utmost needs of the contemporary workplace: to cultivate meaningful interaction and positive energy by using a designed environment to create physical and psychical comfort and stimulation in a collaborative setting.

“We wanted to create something beautiful, unusual, thought-out – doing it in our own way,” Oulton explains. The magnificent project is the product of Oulton’s years of planning, dreaming and insistence on impeccable craftsmanship and teamwork.

The central Dome Home and its seven surrounding Round Houses were constructed to emphasise the natural beauty of the area, and make minimal impact on the environment. Guests enter the village through a cast concrete Moon Gate, a reference to traditional Chinese architecture. They soon encounter the lychee garden through a lattice bamboo tunnel planted with fruit vines.

The design of the home feels effortless, yet solid – much like the beginnings of well-considered idea. The shell is completely self-supporting, free from columns or pillars, and the whole structure has been created using FSC-certified timber. It is also built to German Passive House standards, the highest in the world.

This ultra-low energy building incorporates triple glazing on the windows and doors, which have been imported from Europe. Each component lines up perfectly, keeping the structure exceptionally watertight and highly insulated. Minimal energy is required to power all of the lights in the building – the equivalent of boiling a kettle.

Dome Home kitchen

As one might imagine given Oulton’s gravitas in the world of product design, the customised furnishings are seamlessly integrated into the expansive environments. Their curved lines echo the rounded dome of the building, with the aim of allowing ideas in the mind to float around without obstruction.

In the spirit of embracing the past with a modern and singular edge, Oulton’s Shabby sofa has been reinvented with soft curves, and the stainless steel and marble kitchen has been designed to hug the curved wall. His Crossfire dining chairs, which circle a custom-made round marble table, are upholstered in the designer’s Baa Baa sheep’s wool.

Dome Home

British designer Timothy Oulton

But, as with any masterpiece, the project was not without challenges.

“The biggest challenge was the precision engineering required,” Oulton explains. Fittingly, to ensure everything flowed properly, there needed to be a collaboration between the UK specialist company employed to focus on the construction design and the Chinese interior designers.

Solid timber structures are rare in southern China so the local building contractor had several challenges to overcome. Eighty pre-fabricated timber panels of four different types were made with the greatest accuracy in order to fit together seamlessly.

“The Dome Home is really about people,” says Oulton. “To create this space where designers can actually get together and interact is something very special. Being in a relaxed ambience liberates the imagination and allows ideas to emerge.”

Dome Home bedroom

The village of Round Houses equally speaks to his sincere quest for a fluid design community. Paths lead from the central timber Dome Home to the seven double-storey brick-built houses, which function both as the primary spaces for the design staff to entertain and as guest homes for their international visitors.

As with the main house, these features reclaimed bricks, and timber has been recycled from a local village and used with precision engineering to provide sustainable buildings. Similar curves can be seen in their paths and staircases.

Even the natural environment is inviting and interactive. The garden is planted with lush edible ferns and vegetable beds, and wastewater from the buildings is treated onsite with a reed-bed sewerage system and then re-used to water the orchards. A gym and laundry are housed in repurposed old structures.

Dome Home exterior

“The village has been built to bring this eclectic mix of talent and personalities together in a comforting and creative environment deep in the middle of nature,” says Oulton. “Simple, organic design proves there is beauty in simplicity.”

A selection of Oulton’s boundary-pushing furniture is available at Marina Home, which opened its custom-built flagship store across the road from its iconic Al Barsha warehouse showroom.

The Latest
2 hours ago
Green coast project

Rqitects completes a multi-use project for Green Coast Real Estate with an LEED Gold accreditation

The project combines both commercial office spaces and industrial warehouses

3 hours ago

A Vision of California Modernism

Paul McClean and Michael Webb explore the art of liveable modernism in their latest Rizzoli book

April 22, 2025

Smart Integration

Kettal’s Pavilion H blends aesthetics and functionality

April 22, 2025
Downtown Design Riyadh

Downtown Design Riyadh – Highlights Announced

Held in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Architecture and Design Commission of the Ministry of Culture, the fair will take place at JAX District from 20-23 May.

April 21, 2025

Island Sanctuary

Baituti Home develops Zuha Island’s most inspiring design projects

April 21, 2025

Elevated Living

Versace Home announces the grand opening of its boutique at Dubai Mall Zabeel

April 18, 2025

Culture Express

Designed by Aline Asmar d’Amman, the Dream of the Desert train seamlessly blends modern elegance with the rich heritage of Saudi Arabia

April 18, 2025

The Art of Curated Living

OBEGI Home designs a breathtaking mansion on Jumeirah Bay Island through thoughtful curation and bespoke elements

April 17, 2025
d3 x Fuorisalone.it announcement

Dubai Design District (D3) signs partnership with Fuorisalone and Brera Design District

The strategic partnership officially signed during Milan Design Week, will enable collaboration, knowledge sharing, industry networking, and joint initiatives.

April 17, 2025

Luxury Meets Everyday Comfort

This Dubai Hills villa by MWM Studio integrates comfort, functionality and refined aesthetics

April 17, 2025

Personalised Luxury

Bespoke design and a strong curatorial process define this duplex at The Lana Residences, Dorchester Collection in Dubai

April 17, 2025
Revolver YDesign

A Bold Fusion

Step into Revolver designed by Yasmine Farahmandy of Y Design Interior.