Wiki World has recently finished installing a sustainable cabin that pops up easily, while minimizing its impact on the environment. Situated in the Fragrant Lake of Huanggang City, China, next to the Inner Lake Peninsula and surrounded by a bamboo forest, the Sprite Cabin consists of a timber crystal-like structure with three peaked volumes that combine to create a modern hut-like retreat.
“The design of the Sprite Cabin is inspired by the idea of crystals,” Mu Wei, Founder of Wiki World, told New Atlas. “In nature normally we cant find artificial-like shaped geometries. But crystals are very special.”
The project adopts a sustainable construction approach that preserves all the trees and vegetation on the site, without damaging the original woodland.
Each component of the cabin has been custom-designed using digital technology and is prefabricated off-site. The cabin arrives at the build site in an easy to follow assembly kit, which allows almost anyone to erect the structure without any prior experience or building skills.
The Sprite Cabin's prefabricated laminated timber structure is assembled on-site. It boasts a hexagonal floor plan and makes use of a light wood foundation, which is elevated off the ground to further reduce its footprint and impact.
“It's like making a full scale LEGO game,” said Wei. “We numbered each part and workers can easily connect the metal profiles in the right way.”
Featuring a rustic patterned aesthetic and irregular window openings, the exterior wooden shingles resemble fish skin. A single aluminum-plated facade that reflects the surrounding vegetation helps the cabin to seamlessly merge within the landscape.
Each timber cabin features a master bedroom, living area, bathroom, combustion wood stove, timber outdoor decking, and sharp triangular openings that beautifully frame the river view. The Wiki World design team came up with the idea to create a double-level floor plan, featuring an additional elevated bedroom area. This loft space is positioned in the highest volume of the three crystal-like structures and is accessible via a timber ladder, providing a great hideout for the kids.
The concept of the Sprite Cabins prioritizes a connection to nature and is flooded with soft natural timber detailing, framed with black metal furnishings. The interior design has been kept to a minimum, in order to frame the environment and encourage stillness. The design team believes that the small scale of the structure brings guests closer to the surrounding environment and can help detach from modern-day technology and distractions.
“I love the rough use of materials in these cabins,” explained Wei. “Materials matter, and can call you back to nature and reconnect you to life and yourself. All our cabins are small, and we believe that a cabin is a device to help bring you back to nature. It can expand your thinking and sensibility. We encourage people to walk barefoot and disconnect their phone.”
The Sprite Cabin was finished in January 2023 and is part of the larger Wiki Tribe retreat. The unique destination provides an interactive architectural experience for parents to bond with their children, while also reconnecting with the rural Chinese landscape.
Source: Wiki House
