Looking Glass Lodge immerses its guests in British nature
Looking Glass Lodge by Michael Kendrick Architects is an idyllic woodland retreat in the UK’s East Sussex

Looking Glass Lodge is exactly as you would imagine an idyllic woodland retreat to be like. Smart, architectural but respectfully modest structure? Check. Large openings and a constant connection with the outdoors? A tree-filled setting? Check and check. The project, a boutique hospitality scheme by Michael Kendrick Architects set amid the nature of Hastings in East Sussex, UK, Looking Glass Lodge does what it says on the tin – and pretty well too.
Looking Glass Lodge by Michael Kendrick Architects
Designed as a minimalist vessel for guests within a natural clearing in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Looking Glass Lodge blends seamlessly into its protected surrounding woodland. Set in the grounds of a larger residence but cleverly positioned so as to avoid overlooking and to create the impression of seclusion, the small building was its owners' dream – as long-term local residents they wanted to promote and enhance their area, while protecting existing eco-systems.
While modest in scale, the structure features crisp and contemporary minimalist architecture, which allows the environment to take centre stage. The long, orthogonal lodge can be accessed from one side, and cantilevers elegantly over the sloped terrain on the other, enabling the guests to take in views and breathe in the fresh air.
As well as its unobtrusive nature, the lodge was built by craftspeople in Hastings, supporting the local economy. Meanwhile, its sustainable architecture stance means a variety of elements were included to help embed it as harmoniously as possible in its locale. It features unfinished western red cedar and a hybrid steel/timber-framed structure to avoid damaging existing trees – and off-site production helped reduce disturbance for both neighbours and nature.
The local flora and fauna played a key role in the process too. 'The build provided an opportunity for the biodiversity of the site to be enhanced above its current baseline, including the removal of invasive plant species currently on site, and the addition of bat and bird boxes, as part of a site-wide ecological management and enhancement plan that encourages the natural regeneration of the native ground flora,' the architects write.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
From David Hockney to Tony Blair, a new film takes us inside the Alternative Miss World
Upon creating Alternative Miss World in 1972, Andrew Logan cemented a counter-culture – and rubbed a few people up the wrong way
-
Foster + Partners to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II
For the Queen Elizabeth II memorial, Foster + Partners designs proposal includes a new bridge, gates, gardens and figurative sculptures in St James’ Park
-
Inside MAZE Design Basel the city's new design fair
With only 11 exhibitors and the backdrop of a Swiss Gothic Revival church, MAZE Design Basel is a new intimate art fair for those in the know
-
Foster + Partners to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II
For the Queen Elizabeth II memorial, Foster + Partners designs proposal includes a new bridge, gates, gardens and figurative sculptures in St James’ Park
-
Wolves Lane Centre brings greenery, growing and grass roots together
Wolves Lane Centre, a new, green community hub in north London by Material Cultures and Studio Gil, brings to the fore natural materials and a spirit of togetherness
-
This ingenious London office expansion was built in an on-site workshop
New Wave London and Thomas-McBrien Architects make a splash with this glulam extension built in the very studio it sought to transform. Here's how they did it
-
Once vacant, London's grand department stores are getting a new lease on life
Thanks to imaginative redevelopment, these historic landmarks are being reborn as residences, offices, gyms and restaurants. Here's what's behind the trend
-
Lego and Serpentine celebrate World Play Day with a new pavilion
Lego and Serpentine have just unveiled their Play Pavilion; a colourful new structure in Kensington Gardens in London and a gesture that celebrates World Play Day (11 June)
-
Inside Abbey Road's refresh: touring the legendary studio's new interior
Abbey Road gets an interior refresh by Threefold Architects, bringing the legendary London recording studio in tune with the 21st century
-
The Serpentine Pavilion 2025 is ready to visit, ‘an exhibition you can use’
The Serpentine Pavilion 2025 is ready for its public opening on 6 June; we toured the structure and spoke to its architect, Marina Tabassum
-
A meticulously crafted artist’s space in east London evokes the area’s long creative history
Maich Swift Architects’ artist’s space has radically reconfigured a Victorian terraced house, transforming it into a contemporary live/work interior