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 Wood Shingles and Transparent Pillars Create a Serene Meditation Retreat

Authors:
João Lopes, Susana Café
Charred Wood Shingles and Transparent Pillars Create a Serene Meditation Retreat
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
Constructed with charred wooden shingles and supported by exposed pillars, the meditation cabin offers a tranquil space for introspection while harmonizing with its forested surroundings.
5 key facts about this project
01
Constructed with charred wooden shingles for enhanced durability and aesthetics.
02
Utilizes cross-laminated timber panels for structural efficiency and sustainability.
03
Incorporates large openings that enhance natural light and visual connection to nature.
04
Supported by exposed pillars, allowing for an open and airy interior layout.
05
Features a bent A-frame design, optimizing space while blending with the environment.

The Tiny Kiwi Meditation Cabin is an architectural project located at Earth Energies Sanctuary in New Zealand. It serves as a dedicated space for meditation and introspection, designed to integrate seamlessly with its natural surroundings. Covering a modest area of 30 square meters, the design emphasizes a harmonious relationship between the structure and the environment, encouraging users to engage with nature while finding tranquility within.

The cabin represents a multifaceted approach to well-being, focusing on mental health and personal reflection. Its main function is to provide a serene environment for individual meditation practices, yoga, and quiet contemplation. The architecture promotes an experience of mindfulness, supporting users in their journey toward inner peace.

The essential components of the Tiny Kiwi Meditation Cabin include its three prominent supporting pillars, which convey a sense of strength and stability while maintaining a visual connection with the landscape. The inclined roof design allows for efficient water drainage and provides protection from the elements, further enhancing the user experience. Extensive use of large windows facilitates ample natural light, creating an inviting interior while allowing for uninterrupted views of the forested surroundings.

The cabin features a minimalist interior layout that prioritizes functionality and simplicity, reflecting the core purpose of cultivating a peaceful atmosphere. The careful selection of natural materials such as timber, glass, clay, and metal contributes to a warm and inviting environment, emphasizing sustainability while minimizing environmental impact. This choice of materials not only serves structural purposes but also reinforces the cabin’s integration into its natural context.

A defining characteristic of the Tiny Kiwi Meditation Cabin is its unique design approach that distinguishes it from conventional meditation spaces. The use of pillars as a design feature, instead of traditional walls, creates a sense of openness and continuity with nature. This innovative structural choice allows for airflow and natural light while ensuring stability and support. Moreover, the strategic placement of architectural gaps promotes both visual and sensory connections with the surrounding landscape, enhancing the overall experience of mindfulness.

The spatial organization of the cabin further supports its intended function. By accommodating different activities related to meditation and reflection, the design fosters an adaptable space that can serve various personal practices. This adaptability is crucial for meeting the diverse needs of users, allowing for both solitary practices and small gatherings.

For a comprehensive understanding of the architecture and its nuances, readers are encouraged to explore the project presentation further. Review detailed architectural plans, sections, and design ideas to gain deeper insights into the specific elements that make the Tiny Kiwi Meditation Cabin a noteworthy contribution to contemporary architecture.

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

Enter an open architecture
competition now

The Next House: USA
The Next House: USA
20,000 USD Prize
The Architect's 
Chair
The Architect's Chair
Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5
Kinderspace
Kinderspace
Architecture for Children’s Development #3
The Home of 
Shadows
The Home of Shadows
The light studies. Edition #4
The Architect’s 
Stair
The Architect’s Stair
Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3
MICROHOME 2026
MICROHOME 2026
100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #11
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026
100,000€ Prize / 2026

The Next House: USA — A Global Call to Reimagine the American Suburb

`
Competition organisers

Buildner is launching The Next House: USA, a global architecture competition that challenges architects, designers, and thinkers to reimagine the American suburban home for the 21st century. For decades, the suburban house has symbolized comfort and stability, but today it often reflects excess, isolation, and environmental strain. This competition asks: how can the American home evolve to address climate urgency, economic pressures, and shifting social values?

Participants are tasked with designing a prototype home of no more than 1,500 sq ft (≈140 m²) for a household of two adults and one child. The design should be compact yet generous, adaptable, sustainable, affordable, and replicable across diverse U.S. contexts. More than a design exercise, the competition aims to spark a conversation about how homes can support healthier, smarter, and more connected communities.

The total prize fund is $20,000 USD. The final registration deadline is May 20, 2026, and winners will be announced on September 22, 2026. The Next House: USA invites architects, students, and visionaries worldwide to redefine what the American home means today—and what it should mean tomorrow.

The Next House: USA

Design the next suburban home for the USA

20,000 USD Prize ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 19 November 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
new
The Next House: USA

Design the next suburban home for the USA

20,000 USD Prize ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 19 November 2025
new
Iceland 
Slow Sauna

Design slow sauna in Iceland

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 26 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
new
Pavilion Atlas 2026

Design a story of your country

ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 21 January 2026

Recurring architecture competitions

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
new
The Architect's 
Chair

Take a seat and make a statement!

Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 20 November 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
Final registration deadline 26 November 2025
Kinderspace

Design a kindergarten of tomorrow

Architecture for Children’s Development #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 26 November 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
Final registration deadline 27 November 2025
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
Advance registration deadline 3 December 2025
The Home of 
Shadows

Design a home with no artificial lighting

The light studies. Edition #4 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 14 January 2026
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
Advance registration deadline 15 January 2026
new
MICROHOME 2026

Design a new concept of small-scale home and share a prize fund of 100,000€

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #11 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 11 February 2026
new
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026

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

100,000€ Prize / 2026 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 26 February 2026

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