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Charred Wooden Shingles and Stone Walls Enhancing a Sustainable Tea-Making Guesthouse

Authors:
Bar Levy, David Donley
Charred Wooden Shingles and Stone Walls Enhancing a Sustainable Tea-Making Guesthouse

Project in-detail

Incorporating charred wooden shingles and stone walls, the design harmonizes traditional materiality with sustainable practices to create an engaging guesthouse dedicated to tea-making experiences.
5 key facts about this project
01
Utilizes charred wooden shingles for enhanced durability and natural weather resistance.
02
Incorporates reclaimed wood throughout the interior to promote sustainability and local craftsmanship.
03
Features large glass panels to maximize natural light and integrate indoor spaces with the landscape.
04
Employs a bent A-frame design to optimize structural stability while maintaining an open feel.
05
Includes a dedicated tea workshop that provides hands-on learning experiences for guests.

**Project Overview**
Located in Latvia, the Twin Huts project serves as a guesthouse for tea makers, emphasizing sustainable architecture that integrates with the surrounding environment and reflects the region's cultural heritage. The design creatively repurposes an existing stone barn structure, marrying historical elements with contemporary architectural principles. The guesthouse aims to provide functional space while promoting an ecological approach, encouraging visitors to engage with both the landscape and the local cultural narrative.

**Spatial Strategy and User Experience**
The layout consists of two interconnected structures, facilitating interaction and engagement. The ground level includes a spacious tea-making workshop and a drying area, designed for educational purposes and local craftsmanship. Above, the upper levels house guest accommodations and communal areas, each oriented to maximize views of the surrounding ecology. Each unit features large windows that foster a strong connection to nature and enhance natural lighting, contributing to energy efficiency through passive solar design principles.

**Material Selection and Sustainability Features**
The materials used in Twin Huts reflect the local context and sustainability ethos. The refurbished stone walls of the original barn provide a sense of permanence, while reclaimed wood elements add warmth and a connection to nature. Expansive glass panels maximize natural light, reducing reliance on artificial lighting, and structural steel elements ensure stability, offering a modern contrast to softer materials. Additionally, the design incorporates photovoltaic panels for energy generation and includes strategies for passive solar heating and cooling, optimizing overall energy management in a compact framework.

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

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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

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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