The design cabins were built in a hidden corner of the Balaton Uplands.

Many small rural villages in Hungary face challenges such as shrinking populations, aging communities, and limited job opportunities. Sustainable tourism can play an important role in addressing these issues by attracting visitors, supporting local businesses, and creating employment.

Our studio has long been interested in contributing to local communities through architecture and the built environment. Since 2016, the studio has organized its international architecture summer school and festival on a 2-hectare site in the Balaton Uplands near Kapolcs. The area, known as Csóromfölde, is surrounded by rolling hills and farmland where flocks from nearby farms have grazed for centuries.

During the summer camps, architecture students created temporary structures and installations that formed a seasonal village on the site. Over time, we began exploring how the area could gain a more permanent function that respects the tranquillity of the landscape while contributing to the revitalization of the surrounding villages.

This vision led to the creation of the Rock cabins: a group of nine unique accommodation units and a reception building. The complex consists of six Rock Cabins and three larger Grand Rock Cabins, and is operated by Hello Wood Resorts, the company’s own hospitality venture run by an in-house team.

The design echoes the character of the historic rural landscape while blending into the natural surroundings. The monolithic cabins resemble giant stones placed in the fields. Their sculptural forms open only towards the terrace and entrance, creating a compact mass without visible windows interrupting the geometry. Irregular planes and edges shape the volumes, giving the buildings the appearance of polished rocks.

The metallic grey exterior contrasts with the warm golden-brown tones of the interior and terrace, revealed almost like the inside of a cracked geode.

Each cabin offers a cozy retreat immersed in nature. The units include a bedroom-living area, kitchen furniture, built-in storage, and a bathroom with a double shower. A panoramic infrared sauna and a hot tub on the covered terrace create a private spa-like atmosphere. The cabins are carefully positioned to ensure privacy while opening views toward the surrounding hills and fields.

Despite their sculptural appearance, the cabins are carefully engineered structures. Several elements were prefabricated off-site and assembled on location. The complex polygonal geometry required precise solutions to ensure that all structural elements remain hidden beneath the unified cladding of the roof and walls.

With the Rocks, we aim to create a distinctive architectural destination that attracts visitors to the Kapolcs area throughout the year while contributing to the life of the surrounding rural communities.