Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

Learn from past Buildner architecture competition participants through our extensive project library, curated over more than 15 years!

Charred Pine Cabins Embracing Valley Views for Mindful Meditation

Author:
Simon Rode Gregersen
Charred Pine Cabins Embracing Valley Views for Mindful Meditation
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
With a unique design utilizing charred pine and an angled plan that frames stunning valley views, the cabins create a tranquil environment for meditation and personal reflection.
5 key facts about this project
01
Cabins are designed with an 80 cm grid structure to enhance spatial functionality.
02
Charred pine wood exterior provides weather resistance and a minimalist aesthetic.
03
Three distinct window orientations ensure varied valley views throughout the day.
04
Interior layout includes a continuous bench for both seating and storage.
05
Outdoor meditation plateaus extend the peaceful experience into nature.

The Vale de Moses Meditation Cabins sit on a slope overlooking a beautiful valley. Designed to be a meditative retreat, the cabins foster a strong connection with the natural landscape. The concept revolves around framing the views of the valley, allowing guests to engage with their surroundings while promoting relaxation and reflection.

Architectural Configuration

The cabins are built using an 80 cm grid structure and feature an angled plan that includes a door and three windows oriented toward the valley. This thoughtful design enhances the shape of the cabins while maximizing natural light and panoramic views. The extended windows create a sheltered yet inviting space, encouraging introspection and quiet thought.

Interior Layout

Inside, the cabins are designed for comfort and practicality. The central area is allocated for a massage table, surrounded by a continuous bench. This arrangement serves multiple functions: it provides seating for meditation and storage for treatment supplies. By focusing on functionality, the layout enhances the overall user experience, aligning perfectly with the retreat's purpose.

Material Choices

The exterior of the cabins is clad in charred pine wood, selected for its durability and visual appeal. The dark wood stands in contrast to the natural surroundings and offers protection from the elements. Inside, the use of exposed wooden beams and plywood walls adds warmth and creates a sense of being close to nature, inviting guests to connect with their environment.

Sustainability Considerations

Sustainability plays a key role in the design. The wooden construction allows for easy disassembly and relocation, which minimizes the impact on the landscape. Each cabin rests on a movable foundation system, ensuring that the natural terrain remains mostly intact. This approach emphasizes the importance of coexisting with nature.

Around the cabins, outdoor meditation plateaus extend the space available for quiet contemplation. These areas foster a deeper connection with the landscape, inviting guests to experience the beauty of the valley. With careful design choices, the Vale de Moses Meditation Cabins encourage reflection and harmony with the surrounding environment.

Noticed a mistake?
Highlight the text and click on
Noticed a mistake

Enter an open architecture
competition now

Denver Affordable Housing Challenge
Denver Affordable Housing Challenge
Affordable Housing Series 19th Edition
The Architect's 
Chair
The Architect's Chair
Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #4
MICROHOME
MICROHOME
100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10
The Architect’s 
Stair
The Architect’s Stair
Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3
Kinderspace
Kinderspace
Architecture for Children’s Development #3
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
100,000€ Prize / 2025

MICROHOME 10: Celebrating Small-Scale Living with €100,000 Prize Fund and Kingspan’s Innovation

`
Competition organisers

The MICROHOME 10 competition invites participants to submit visionary designs for off-grid, modular microhomes that push the limits of sustainable, small-scale living. Organised by Buildner in partnership with Kingspan and Hapi Homes, this tenth edition sets the challenge of designing a dwelling for two people within a maximum floor area of 25 m², encouraging bold solutions adaptable to any urban or rural location. The competition continues Buildner’s mission to foster innovative approaches to compact, energy-efficient housing that can address pressing global challenges.

This year’s edition offers a generous total prize fund of €100,000, including the Kingspan Award for designs that integrate high-performance Kingspan products and the Hapi Homes Award for a project selected for real-world construction. In addition to cash prizes, the winners gain international exposure through Buildner’s media partnerships, publications, and a dedicated MICROHOME magazine, further amplifying their ideas to the wider architectural community.

Key dates for MICROHOME 10 include the closing date for registration on 25 September 2025, the submission deadline on 29 October 2025 (11:59 p.m. London time), and the announcement of winners on 9 December 2025. These milestones ensure participants have clear timelines to develop and present their concepts, with early registration discounts available to support students and emerging designers worldwide.

MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025

Open architecture competitions

  • Closest deadline first
  • Project competitions first
    Selected winning projects have the potential to be constructed
  • Ideas competitions
    Experimental competitions with the focus on pushing the boundaries of creativity
Denver Affordable Housing Challenge

AIA (American Institute of Architects) invites you to design affordable housing in Denver

Affordable Housing Series 19th Edition ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 18 September 2025

Recurring architecture competitions

The Architect's 
Chair

Take a seat and make a statement!

Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #4 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 18 September 2025
Museum of 
Emotions

Use architecture to create different emotional states

Edition #7 ideas COMPETITION SILENT CONTEST For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 18 September 2025
MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025
new
Re:Form - 
New Life 
for Old Spaces

Choose a site—used, abandoned, or forgotten—anywhere in the world, and give it a new purpose

Edition #2 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 2 October 2025
Hospice - 
Home for the 
Terminally ill

Design a safe and supportive space to those struggling with a terminal illness

Edition #5 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 10,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 9 October 2025
new
The Architect’s 
Stair

Take a step and make a statement!

Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 15 October 2025
Kinderspace

Design a kindergarten of tomorrow

Architecture for Children’s Development #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 16 October 2025
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025

Celebrating your unbuilt architecture visions with a €100,000 prize

100,000€ Prize / 2025 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 30 October 2025
The Last 
Nuclear Bomb Memorial

Design a memorial that speaks to the cause of ending all nuclear weapons programs

Edition #6 ideas COMPETITION SILENT CONTEST For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 13 November 2025
Concrete 
Pavilion

Design a concrete pavilion

Edition #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 27 November 2025

Media, partners and clients

To view this project in detail,
please log in with your
Architects’ Network Plus account.
Subscription instantly unlocks all the architecture projects plus other member-only benefits:
  • Access the 17,725 Concept Library
  • Professional tools including file transfer, email, portfolio management, and more
Register now
Already a member? Log in

This website uses cookies to improve user experience and gather usage statistics.

More information is available in our Privacy & Cookie policy