Hospitality Experience Inspired by Korean Fermentation
Overview
Baroo is a hospitality concept that combines fermented dining and accommodation into a slow and restorative spatial experience.
Inspired by Korean culinary traditions and the natural landscape of Ojai, the project explores how food, materiality, and rhythm can shape a calm and immersive environment.
Through courtyard connections, natural materials, and layered spatial transitions, the design creates an atmosphere centered on wellness, reflection, and sensory experience.
TYPE
LOCATION
Academic Project
Ojai, California
SIZE
33,750 sq ft
Concept
The concept is rooted in the process of fermentation, where time, temperature, and environment work together to create depth and transformation.
This idea informed the project’s spatial rhythm, material palette, and sequence of experiences, allowing the space to feel grounded, quiet, and restorative.
Korean traditional sensibilities were reinterpreted through a contemporary hospitality environment connected to the natural character of Ojai.
DESIGN Language
The design emphasizes slowness, pause, and sensory transition through subtle shifts in scale, enclosure, and material expression.
Courtyards, layered partitions, and earthy finishes create a sequence of spaces that feel both intimate and open, supporting a dining and lodging experience shaped by calm observation and reflection.
Materials
The material palette combines earthy textures, breathable surfaces, and natural tones to reflect both the grounding qualities of Ojai and the organic process of fermentation.
These selections reinforce a tactile and calming atmosphere, connecting the architecture to landscape, food, and wellness.
Facade
The facade combines contemporary form with subtle references to Korean spatial character, creating an exterior that feels both distinctive and integrated with the surrounding landscape.
Its material expression and quiet presence introduce the hospitality experience with warmth and curiosity.
1 valet
2 lobby
3 dining room
4 courtyard
5 micro-farm
6 hallway
7 guest room
8 sky garden
Plan + Sections + Elevations
fixtures & TABLE setting
Public area
entrance
The entrance is designed as a transitional moment that introduces the atmosphere of the project through texture, movement, and filtered light. Porous surfaces and soft material elements create an initial sensory connection to nature and establish a calm, welcoming arrival experience.
lobby
The lobby opens toward the courtyard and surrounding landscape, creating an immediate sense of pause and visual calm.
Low seating, warm materials, and framed outdoor views help establish the tone of the project as quiet, grounded, and restorative.
dining
The dining space is organized around the courtyard and mountain views, allowing the natural setting to shape the guest experience. Material warmth, spatial rhythm, and framed scenery work together to create a memorable atmosphere for a slow and immersive meal.
Courtyard & Micro Farm
The courtyard and micro farm connect hospitality with cultivation, reinforcing the relationship between local ingredients, seasonal change, and sensory experience.
These spaces extend the project beyond the interior and support a more grounded and reflective connection to nature.
SKY GARDEN
Gardens on both levels create different relationships to the landscape.
The lower courtyard connects guests to the ground and planted environment, while the upper garden frames broader views of the surrounding mountains and sky.
Guest room
Floor plan, sections with materials & Fixtures
guest room
The guest room uses layered partitions, filtered views, and quiet material transitions to create a sense of privacy, curiosity, and gradual discovery.
The spatial sequence is designed to feel calm and contemplative, echoing the project’s larger themes of slowness and restoration.
