Constructed in 2024 by EERI Studio (Everyday Essentials Research Institute), the Spark Lodges are a set of modular, prefabricated holiday cabins located at the YDD Resort in Changsha, China. The three-story lodges, with a floor area of 76 square meters, were designed for a tourist village in Jinkeng, Hunan, and draw inspiration from the area's rich history, particularly its connection to the fireworks industry. The design harmoniously blends contemporary industrial materials with the natural, rural surroundings of rice fields and the distant Lianyun Mountains.

The exterior of the cabins is composed of green-painted steel frames, pine planks, and most notably, translucent polycarbonate panels that wrap around the roof and certain wall sections. The polycarbonate material, in particular, was chosen for its cost-effectiveness and ability to create a dynamic and "sparkling" effect as light conditions change. These translucent forms give the structures a striking, ethereal quality, especially when viewed against the backdrop of the rice fields and mountains.

The interior of each lodge is designed to create a continuous and changing viewing experience for its occupants. On the ground floor, large, three-sided, floor-to-ceiling windows provide a panoramic, horizontal view of the rice fields, intentionally blurring the line between inside and out. Moving up to the second-floor bedroom, the windows become smaller and more strategically placed, framing "close-up, square-shaped paintings" of the landscape and ensuring privacy. The highest level is a loft space that opens up vertically, offering an expansive view of the distant mountains and framing it like a long, vertical Chinese Shan-shui painting.

Credits

Architects: EERI (Everyday Essentials Research Institute)

Lead Architects: Hou Rui, Zhu Lijin

Location: Changsha, Hunan, China

Year: 2024

Area: 76 m²

Photographs: EERI, NANTU