He was particularly impressed by how children under 5 years of age would sleep next to one another in the fields in freezing weather. He also admired how the children were taken on long hikes in the forest and learned how to set up tents, light fires and make furniture out of branches. It also reminded him of the beauty of his own childhood, when he enjoyed hunting with his father and diving into the sea.

He returned to China in 2010 and was determined that nature would play a role in his career.

In 2013, Mu launched his first project at Wuhan's Tangxun Lake, where more than 30 families have since established homes.

Mu drew sketches, made models and discussed possible plans with them, and then called up parents to actually help construct the homes.

Children got to learn about architecture while giving free rein to their imagination in the process, and parents realized the benefits of hard labor, Mu says.

"We found more parents, especially fathers who wanted to get involved and bond with their children."