Upon first arriving on site, I noticed several persimmon trees already heavy with fruit. I immediately decided to preserve these trees, which required adjusting the design and layout of the three homestay rooms.
The design team arranged the three homestays—labeled A, B, and C—in an enclosure facing the lawn and pond. Their angled layouts complement each other, creating a cohesive grouping with a centripetal effect that unifies the cluster. These buildings are connected by a slender steel-column corridor. The only remnants of the old structures are the existing walls. The floor levels of buildings A, B, and C align horizontally with the old walls, and the height difference with the southern lawn is resolved through terraced steps. The retaining walls around these steps are constructed from rubble salvaged from the collapsed old village houses.
Each homestay is a variation on a flat matrix design featuring an L-shaped solid structure enclosing a virtual inner courtyard, with unique spatial differences: Building A’s courtyard is semi-enclosed with a sealed roof and skylights, creating a semi-outdoor gray space; Buildings B and C both have open-air courtyards. Notably, Building B’s living room spans two stories and includes skylights in the roof.
In three-dimensional form, the buildings’ matrix takes the shape of hexagonal columns with slanted tops. Each facade and roof surface features irregularly arranged perforations, enhancing the architectural expression.
Building A is the largest, with a slightly elevated first floor designed for public dining and living areas. It features a fully operable floor-to-ceiling glass folding door facing the pond and entrance road. The old house’s west-facing glass windows are frameless at ground level, providing views of the swimming pool. Several preserved trees grow through the wooden flooring. The second floor houses a two-bedroom suite; the terrace wall opening frames a view of the preserved persimmon tree outside. The guest room features a long window overlooking a branch of the French wutong tree near the entrance, and a large frameless glass window beside the bathroom’s bathtub faces the wutong tree’s trunk.
Building B is distinguished by its two-story living room and the perforated windows on its walls and ceiling. The bathroom features a separate circular bathtub adjacent to a floor-to-ceiling glass wall.
Building C’s first floor features a pink-themed layout. The second floor, with a higher ceiling, incorporates a slide. The horizontal bathroom window above the toilet provides an ideal filming location.
The exterior walls of all three homestays feature wood-grain plain concrete. Courtyard and stairwell walls, which do not require insulation, use double-sided wood-grain concrete. Room exterior walls are single-sided with internal insulation. The concrete pouring process involves completing the first clear water pour, then removing formwork before applying a second pour with formwork support, separated by a construction joint.
The essence of these three homestays lies in their human scale and the movement flow within them. The design team’s philosophy for small architecture centers around nature, materials, and the human body—a blend of technique and ideology developed over years.
Project Drawings
△ Architectural Model
△ Architectural Model
△ Architectural Model
△ Architectural Model
△ Architectural Model
△ Architectural Model
△ Architectural Model
△ Architectural Sketch
△ General Layout Plan
△ Plan View
△ Plan View
△ Plan View
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
△ Section Diagram
Project Information
Architect: UAO Ruituo Design
Area: 607 m²
Project Year: 2023
Photography: Ranya Space Architecture Photography, Architecture Photography Here
Manufacturers: Senpu, Yamet
Lead Designer: Li Tao
Structural Engineers: Zhang Jieming, Tan Ping, Long Kecheng, Kong Fanyi
Landscape Planning: Lu Zhou, Shen Jianxia, Zhang Kun, Lin Jing, Fu Yu
Interior Design: Yan Luoti, Du Wenxin, Zhou Botao, Bai Yufan
Interns: He Daiheng, Xiao Boyang
Construction: Wuhan Chuyao Construction Engineering Co., Ltd
Project Principal: Hubei Zhongke Agricultural Cooperative Development Co., Ltd
Location: Wuhan
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