Most contemporary structures are drawn out with such precision, to accommodate designated functions, that there is seldom an inch unaccounted for, or a corner left out sans purpose. In the absence of niches, nooks and in-between spaces that can offer opportunities for both creativity and an alternate way of experiencing the space, exceedingly typical layout patterns emerge. Besides measured spaces set aside for sleeping, eating, lounging, working, and other regular activities, there is seldom any scope to accommodate novel vantage points, impromptu congregational spaces or arbitrary breaks and turns. Hence, the mundane persists.

A building in the Chinese province of Zhejiang, namely Cipo Laoling Residence, designed by Wang Tiantian and Luo Yanqin of Jumping House Lab, is a contemporary structure that forgoes this prosaic formation in favour of 16 misaligned rectilinear units staggered and coalesced to shape the final silhouette. The Cipo Laoling Residence is a village hotel that comprises 23 guest rooms and a wide range of amenities, such as a restaurant, a cafe, an artisan workshop, a bakery, a swimming pool, and meeting rooms. Located in Huzhou, in Zhejiang, China, the building, when viewed from a distance, does not appear like one continuous structure. Instead, the form and placement of the individual units render a defined depth to the structure and give the impression that the larger structure is a compound that integrates many independent sub-units.

While the structure as a whole, placed amid lush green fields, follows a north-south orientation, its units, with their different orientation, heights and fenestrations, offer unique outdoor views and indoor experiences despite being placed in the same context. In addition to the fields and mountains surrounding the structure, a pond on the western side and a creek flowing along the southern face enhance the microclimate of the site. Despite being in the midst of nature, Cipo Laoling Residence does not stand isolated.

There lies a village on its northeast side, opening up ample scope—for the residents—to avail amenities and engage with the local community. Jumping House Lab derived inspiration from the scale of these houses and the spatial morphology of the village to design the Cipo Laoling Residence. Its blueprint, hence, is evocative of the natural growth of the village. Although the form and style of the structures are heavily contemporary, offsetting it from the traditional village houses in the vicinity, the integration of staggered units in Cipo Laoling Residence is harmonious with the spatial layout of the village.

Additionally, the white colour used on the structure is taken from the colour of cows and egrets in the area. The usage of this hue further ensures minimal absorption of heat, improving indoor temperatures during summers. “The dominant feature of the exterior walls is a coat of coarsely textured, deeply embossed white paint. As the sunlight shifts, the brightness and shadows on the walls undergo constant change, creating a play of various shades of white,” the Chinese architecture studio shares.

Since the structure stretches across a span of nearly 100 metres, the architects surmised that a continuously unfolding edifice of this scale, in the midst of an open field, might appear abrupt and out-of-place. To break it up, the designers modified the massing of the hospitality building by dividing it into smaller components. “We opted for the design strategy of organising smaller abstract white houses into a clustered settlement. This also reflects the influence of some works by architects that we were interested in at that time. These works include Louis Kahn's Dominican Monastery, Tadao Ando's Moriyama House and Teshima Art Museum and Sou Fujimoto's Children's Psychiatric Rehabilitation Centre,” the Chinese architects shared, citing their inspiration.

While Jumping House Lab’s inspiration comes from white-hued icons by Kahn, Ando and Fujimoto, their hotel design for Cipo Laoling Residence integrates this staggered morphology in a more anchored and cohesive format, such that the different portions within the structure stretch out uninterrupted. This, in turn, leaves out various indoor in-between spaces or offcuts that present the scope of loitering around, discovering and rediscovering new nooks and vantage points, and flexibly deputing roles to such spaces.

Delineating the iterative process behind the hotel's design, which spanned five years, Yaqin Luo shares, “Since the client adjusted the project’s functionality many times, we carefully studied every single requirement and explored 28 possibilities of combining different functional spaces. In each of the 28 proposals, we attempted to adapt to the then up-to-date conditions and achieve an ostensibly random form that was underpinned by an accurate spatial structure—in this process, our abstract idea resulted in a concrete form.” This seemingly arbitrary process gave shape to the final hospitality design, which stipulates the settlement into two distinct groups. The west group comprises a sequential assembly of the individual units, to adapt to the narrow, elongated plot on this end. This zone primarily comprises guest rooms. The east group, on the other hand, bears a somewhat radial configuration, aligning with the square shape of the plot on this end. This zone comprises almost all the public amenities housed within the structure.

The east wing and the west wing are connected via a zigzag pathway. Detailing the design of this pathway, the Chinese designers shared, “Unlike the typically dull and uneventful straight hotel corridor that does not provide any view, this zigzag allows visitors to experience it fully. It twists, branches, offers scenic vistas, passes through a two-storey high space, extends to the outdoor areas and leads visitors to the roof garden or the fields.”

The east wing, configured in a radial format, comprises a two-storey high atrium at its core. Surrounding and facing this central atrium, on the ground floor, are stores, restaurants, a handicraft workshop and a cafe-cum-bakery. The first floor, on the other hand, has some more restaurants and a yoga room, as well as five privately placed parent-child suites. “The east wing gains a sense of community due to its mixing residential function with shared areas: there are not only spaces for private family time but also easy access to the continuous public spaces, allowing for both solitude and social interaction,” the studio elaborates.

Although most of the area on the western wing includes private rooms, a portion is also set aside for communal usage, such as the public lounge. This lounge comprises three interconnected communal spaces. The first section, two-storey high, consists of a suspended walkway. It is also punctured with many openings that allow a healthy influx of natural light from different directions. The second space, which is one storey high, features a long horizontally placed window, with seats arranged along it. The third half of the lounge, positioned at around 600 millimetres below the second zone, is a reading and leisure space constituting low bookshelves. All these zones are both spatially and visually connected, adding to its scale, whilst also designating separate areas for different activities.

Accompanying the public spaces in the west wing are 23 guest rooms, of which 17 are standard rooms and double occupancy rooms and six are special suites. Although most of the 23 rooms have a similar layout, their orientation, location on the pan, size and openings vary, ensuring that each room offers a unique experience. While some rooms offer outdoor views via balconies and terraces, others are integrated with courtyards. A few rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows while others feature smaller fenestrations. Some rooms face the fields, some face the lake and others face the vicinal mountains. The suites, on the other hand, come with lofts. One of these is a rooftop suite that has access to three rooftop gardens placed in different directions.

The building also comprises a centrally located multipurpose hall laid out in a rough cross-shaped plan. The central part of this hall, which is the widest portion, measures 10 metres by 20 metres and is suitable for hosting meetings, performances and other communal activities. Each end of the main hall comprises a concealed side stage, with openable doors to the outside. “When the nearly eight-metre-wide openings are fully opened, the boundary between the building and nature disappears. People can then see through the entire building from north to south. Such a setup can be used for a natural music concert or, with nature as a backdrop, for an outdoor wedding ceremony,” Jumping House Lab shares.

Since the exterior face of the structure bears an abstract mien, the architects aimed to create a sense of warmth in its interior spaces. For the public areas positioned in the eastern zone, solid wood, textured plaster paint and warm-toned terrazzo are utilised for a layered look and calm ambience. On the other hand, spaces such as public halls and circulation areas, which are utilised only in passing by the visitors, are integrated with bamboo-patterned prefabricated panels, stainless steel sheets and black or grey terrazzo. This transition between warm and cool tones and alternate material palettes, visually communicates the division of spaces, without the usage of hefty structural entities. Pondering another aspect of the visitor’s experience within the space, the architects share, “Transitioning from the exterior to the interior, the spaces gradually become materialised and tangible, gaining a sense of warmth.”

In an attempt to further imbue a sense of warmth within the structure, Jumping House Lab incorporated small wooden cabins in various corners of the hotel interiors, such as the reception area of this village hotel, which encapsulates a sloping roof. This sloping roof also conceals the air conditioning system. The private parent-child suites are also designed to integrate elements from wooden houses, hence, reserving private space for children within the same space.

Cipo Laoling Residence is a structure that belies typical hotel architecture, both in terms of its planning and the name designated to the project. Bereft of engaging cultural attractions in the area, the structure opens up ample opportunities for its residents to engage in communal activities in the many public spaces within the building—complete with contemporary conveniences. Furthermore, its sporadically placed openings frame sublime views of the natural endowments around it. The structure’s positioning, at the brink of a quaint village, appears to yield to Lee Yeo-reum’s quest—of finding a home tucked away from the chaotic urbane—in the Korean show Summer Strike.

Project Details

Name: Cipo Laoling Residence / Settlement in the field
Location: Huzhou, Zhejiang, China
Area: 3711 square metres
Year of completion: 2023
Architect: Jumping House Lab
Design team: Wang Tiantian, Luo Yanqin
Project Consultant: Xu Yongyong
Construction Drawing Team: Shen Xianming, Fang Yunping, Zhang Jia, Xing Jiabin, Hu Yifeng, Yu Zhijun, Yu Weiyang, Weng Lijun, Zheng Xiaoxiao, Wang Dong
Interior Construction Drawing Team: Fang Junhua, Zhong Yue, Ye Haichao, Dai Haiguang, Wang Yanjun, Liu Hui
Interior Lighting Consultant: Fangfang
Partner Design Firm: Zhejiang Heyi Architectural Design Co., Ltd.
Landscape Design: ChuXieLan (Shanghai) Architectural Design Consultants Co., Ltd.
Soft Furnishings Design: Deqing Wujinxia Soft Furnishings Design Co., Ltd. / Shen Ya, Ping Fengjia, Qian Qifan
Construction: Zhejiang Zhongnuo Construction Co., Ltd.
Interior Finishing: Zhejiang Qiaoxing Construction Group Co., Ltd.
Client: Deqing Mount Mogan International Tourism Resort Development Co., Ltd.
Operator: Deqing Cipo Hotel Management Co., Ltd.