Earth-Hugging Duke Plaza / Edge Architects

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4.The cluster configuration and transparent cladding of facades aim to minimize the building's visual mass, adopting a recessive posture in dialogue with the village, sea, distant mountains, and adjacent woods. Undulating colored translucent canopies – their forms hinting at wind movement – cast chromatic traces when illuminated by sunlight.1.The building extends horizontally parallel to the terrain, featuring an exposed dark gray-painted steel framework. Functional spaces are clad in transparent polycarbonate panels on their facades. Its form evokes a shirtless surfer prone on a paddleboard – tanned and gripping a wave.Text description provided by the architects.The project is situated in Tianxin Village at Riyue Bay,WanningCity, Hainan Province. As the closest village to Riyue Bay, it serves as the daily hub for surf enthusiasts ("wave riders"). The client, a long-established surf club at Riyue Bay, envisions this space to integrate recreational activities, sports, dining, and accommodation facilities.Since 2023, Riyue Bay and Tianxin Village have been witnessing chaotic development marked by disorderly construction, unregulated practices of internet celebrities and surf coaches. This building strives to preserve the surfers' unpretentious rhythm – their ardent passion and reverence for nature – amidst this frenzied transformation.3.The rear section houses guest rooms clustered around a central courtyard, connected to the main structure via eaves galleries. Rooms are oriented toward the woodland at the site's rear, featuring a horizontally divided window system: upper and lower sections feature translucent panels for diffused daylight, while the central band frames the woodland scenery. Select rooms incorporate skylights, creating dramatic interplay of light and shadow during specific hours.2.The building adopts a cluster layout to integrate multiple functions, combining commercial fronts with residential rears. The front plaza steps back from the village road, forming a sports area and open square. A V-shaped incision through the structure links the plaza to the building.Given Riyue Bay's intense sunlight and year-round warmth, the shaded V-shaped transitional space beneath the canopy provides comfortable outdoor areas. Spatial progression flows from the open plaza → shaded canopy zone → rear woodland, with visual transitions from dynamic to tranquil, seamlessly connecting users to nature.