archermit sculpts 'stone kiln in the valley' with petal shaped roof

a structure inspired by pear blossoms

Archermit completes Buzzy Sunny: Stone Kiln in the Valley, a small bakery and café at the entrance of Lihua village in Luzhou, China. Designed as a community gathering place, the project draws inspiration from the valley’s pear blossoms and monumental stone formations, translating their forms into a single sculptural structure.

The design is shaped by repeated visits to the site, where the architects observed the dramatic seasonal changes of Lihua village. In winter, skeletal pear trees and scattered boulders framed the valley paths, while in spring, blossoms filled the air and gathered underfoot. The design team describes the fleeting scene of petals drifting among scurrying ants as a formative image, one that later guided the conception of the Stone Kiln in the Valley.

From these impressions, the building takes shape as a petal resting on a stone. The curved white rooftop appears delicate against the weight of the valley’s terrain, while the base reads as a grounded mass. The project is guided by Archermit’s ‘Imagery Architecture’ approach, where form is generated from visual and cultural memory.

images © Archermit and HereSpace

archermit’s sculptural rooftop

Designing its Stone Kiln in the Valley, the architects at Archermit make use of a steel frame with a simplified network of petal-like veins, supported by five slender steel columns arranged in a circle. A single shear wall encloses the bathroom, hidden within the stone base. To achieve the thin, curling roof, the architects employed two layers of 3mm galvanized steel panels filled with rock wool insulation. The surface is coated with decorative cement paint, producing a matte, petal-like whiteness that is both waterproof and lightweight.

The use of layered steel panels allowed the roof to remain under 160mm (6.3 inches) thick, maintaining the intended sense of lightness. The structural clarity of the system underscores the sculptural expression, ensuring that the form’s apparent fragility rests on precise engineering.

Archermit completes Buzzy Sunny: Stone Kiln in the Valley in Luzhou

inside the stone kiln in the valley

Archermit’s Stone Kiln in the Valley sits on a site defined by farmland to the east and a road to the west, with jacaranda trees enclosing the north and south edges. The west-facing side of the roof is closed, shielding the interior from afternoon sun and traffic noise, while the open eastern side embraces the morning light. This orientation creates a semi-enclosed courtyard that blends with the trees, extending the project’s program into the surrounding landscape.

Inside, the near-elliptical plan and vaulted ceiling create distinct acoustic conditions. Sounds reverberate across the curved surfaces, producing clarity and resonance well-suited to music. Following its completion, the space has hosted small performances where children and visitors experienced its acoustic qualities firsthand.

The program includes a bakery, baking room, café, and cultural display space, unified under the petal-like roof. Large glass openings connect these interiors to the exterior courtyard, reinforcing the sense of permeability.

the design is inspired by pear blossoms and the valley’s stone formations

the structure appears as a petal resting on a stone in the landscape

a steel frame supports the petal shaped roof with slender columns

the project orients eastward to embrace morning light and create a courtyard

1/6

project info:

name: Buzzy Sunny: Stone Kiln in the Valley

architect: Archermit | @archermit_architects

location: Lihua Village, Danlin Town, Luzhou, Sichuan, China

area: 148 square meters (1,593 square feet)

lead architect: Pan Youcai
design director: Yang Zhe (partner)
technical director: Chen Renzhen (partner)
design team: Yang Rui, Hu Qinmei, Gou Yuanjun, Zhao Yaxian
construction drawing team: Chengdu Meixia Architectural Design Co., Ltd.
construction: Luzhou Xingyang Jianchuan Industrial Co., Ltd.
client: Lihua Village Collective Asset Management Co., Ltd., Jiangyang District, Luzhou