Huidong Villas + Masterplan

Baima Village is located in the county of Huidong in the municipality of Huizhou. The site sits on the edge of small village. This project aims to be a future retreat where visitors could escape in a calm environment surrounded by nature. The retreat should be composed of one temporary building, two singular houses and one larger rather collective house. It aspires to become a place of ease where the architecture and the landscape are coexisting. "The retreat should appear like it has always been there".

We approach this project with a relatively respectful eye. Inspired by the local traditional Hakka culture and especially its vernacular architecture, we aim to create a new place that convey a sense of nostalgia from the past. While studying the vernacular Hakka settlement, we decided to lay out this particular sequence/threshold onto the development of our masterplan. The water pond being the entry feature and a sign of fortune and good luck in the traditional culture. Then, the temporary building serving as a gate to walk through. After that, the singular retreat houses carefully positioned to increase privacy and foster views towards the site and the surrounding mountains. Lastly, the larger and more collective house overlooking the entire plot almost like the sacred temple at the top of the mountain.