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The Rock Cabins

By : Hello Wood

GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition

Discipline : Architecture : Grand Winner

Categories : Residential Building / Tiny/Small House < 500 sq.ft. (< 50 sq.m.) : Platinum Winner

The project was realized Csóromfölde, Hungary. The area was a former farmstead surrounded by acacia trees and has a mystical atmosphere.

Altogether, six unique cabins were built on the land alongside the necessary additional buildings such as the reception and the catering pods. While maximizing the comfort of the guest, the team created a sustainable resort using mainly wood as a construction material. The building masses, shaped according to the height and pitch of the roof in accordance with the local building regulations, respect the architectural thinking and use of materials in the Lake Balaton region. The choice of location was key to the conceptual design. The team aimed to develop the accommodation in an area that is quiet and to appeal to those who wanted to spend a few days away from the world. The goal was to increase local tourism after the project was completed in 2022.

Resolving the problems of the shrinking, aging population of villages with few job opportunities is one of the challenges Hungary needs to tackle. The development of tourism in rural, peripheral areas attracts visitors, creates jobs for local people, and boosts the local economy so it can be key to this issue.

The cabins have everything needed for a perfect stay for two people, with the apartments having their own kitchen, dining area, and built-in shower (directly connected to the infrared sauna). The 21 square meter cabins (with 15 m2 terrace) have a living room with a bed, kitchen furniture, a built-in wardrobe and dining table, a bathroom with a double shower, and a panoramic infrared sauna. A large hot tub is built into the spacious, covered terrace. To ensure an intimate and carefree experience, the cabins are positioned facing away from each other, looking at the surrounding fields and rolling hills. Guests can enjoy the panoramic views from the terrace – even from the hot tub or the glass-walled sauna as well as from the bed.

The construction technology allowed for prefabrication, minimizing on-site construction work. The polygonal, three-dimensional shape required innovative solutions to ensure that the irregular sides precisely fit together and that all structural elements stay hidden under the cladding of the roof and wall, made of the very same material – creating a compact overall effect. The monolithic character of the cabins that evokes giant runestones is enhanced by the building masses opening only at the terrace and the entrance. Irregular planes and vertices define a shape resembling a polished stone. Contrasting the grey shell, the golden brown of the terrace and interior is revealed like the inside of a cracked geode.

While the cabins have a form of free sculptural bodies, the structure and the cladding make them modern houses that can be heated and cooled with minimal energy consumption. The living space is elevated from the ground; below this space, you can find the technical systems, and above a roof that is constructed to balance interior temperatures.

The cabin structures are temporary and movable, just like the hay bales of the land. The timber cladding ages beautifully, changing and blending into the green environment. This type of cladding is also a characteristic of local architecture. From the hill above the land, the cabin resort area is visible, but from that distance, the dark, natural grey-colored buildings blend in with this natural environment.

Collaboration

Architect : Hello Wood

The Rock Cabins

By : Hello Wood

GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition

The project in images

INT.DESIGN Magazine

The Rock Cabins

By : Hello Wood

GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN – 16th edition

The project in images

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