Thatched roofs, recycled bricks and bundles of sticks were used to construct this hostel on Shanghai’s Chongming Island, which Chinese studio RooMoo has organised around two existing buildings. The site is surrounded by water and forests, creating a secluded rural environment on the island that’s located across the Yangtze River estuary from the vast metropolitan area. RooMoo completely transformed two existing buildings using materials found on-site The Som Land hostel was designed to integrate with this natural landscape and respect the local customs and traditions. “The resort’s name Som Land comes from the traditional Chinese colour, the warm green between…