For Joanna Dawes, the desire to create temporary spaces in unsuspecting places is twofold. Influenced by the opportunities caravans and mobile homes have inspired, Dawes finds that ephemeral dwellings not only allow the chance to explore different landscapes, but also promise exciting new designs, materials and construction techniques. 

"This is about exploring new structures, experimenting with new and sustainable materials, and building intimacy with our landscapes for a brief period of time," Dawes explains to me as we discuss Land Stories, a non-profit initiative and vacation rental service that places contemporary architecture in stunning landscapes. The goal, says Dawes, is to foster constructive dialogues about what architecture and design can bring to one's experience of a place as well as the landscape itself. 

Launched this year, Land Stories will open up its first dwelling, the Lantern, this spring. Designed by the London-based studio Emulsion— whom have worked with Dawes in the past—the inaugural structure, wrapped in a lattice of woven willow, pays homage to the iconic lantern. "We were inspired by the simple idea of a lantern acting as a gentle beacon which can sit sensitively in the landscape," says practice director Yen-Yen Teh. "It will be a very serene and beautiful place to stay in any landscape.”

Located near the charming coastal villages of Norfolk, a secluded spot on the grounds of Grade II listed Wiveton Hall will be The Lantern’s first home. Surrounded by marshes and coastal landscapes, it offers short-term accommodations for four, which will be available for an initial period of just one year. During this time, artists will be invited to visit and asked to create a piece of work inspired by their experience. The hope is to curate a collection of music, poetry, film and photography, that crafts a lasting memory and narrative—or 'land story'—of the place. While the Lantern is set on the coasts of eastern England, Dawes asserts that future projects—each designed by a select group of architects, craftspeople, and interior designers—will be based in a range of landscapes from rural to urban. 

Rather than merely providing a place to stay, the project's fundamental objective is to provide a feeling of immersion in a place that one would typically pass through, thus brining a whole new set of experiences and perspectives. In its ability to eschew more formal, protracted processes of development, portable, temporary pieces of architecture have a lot to offer these aims. "It can bring attention to a lesser-known place" or bring "a new and different perspective to a better-known place" says Dawes. "It can also become part of a wider dialogue about the landscape, [such as] coastal corrosion and other threats to our natural environment or even social and economic issues such as the regeneration of neglected rural or coastal communities," she adds. 

If inclined, those looking for a short term getaway have the chance of being one of the project's Early Adopters, earning a discounted price on a range of stays and other goodies such as their special line of bath products developed with Austin Austin. With future projects, Land Stories is looking to hear from architects, designers, landowners and potential guests to invite ideas for the next round.