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Cypress Gardens and Traditional Wood Elements Enhance Healing Spaces in Hospice Design

Author:
Sumin Lee
Cypress Gardens and Traditional Wood Elements Enhance Healing Spaces in Hospice Design

Project in-detail

Incorporating cypress gardens and traditional wood elements, this hospice design creates a serene environment that fosters community interaction and supports patient healing through thoughtful integration of nature and shared spaces.
5 key facts about this project
01
Incorporates a Maru, a traditional raised wooden floor, enhancing cultural connection.
02
Features extensive use of cypress trees in garden design, promoting a calming environment.
03
Patient rooms include private balconies that overlook inner gardens for personal outdoor space.
04
Integrates flexible communal areas adaptable for various activities and events.
05
Utilizes a charred wood façade, reflecting local architectural vernacular while enhancing durability.

### Overview
Located in Changwon, South Korea, the "Home for Us" project addresses the specific needs of the local community and seeks to innovate the healthcare environment through the integration of a hospice facility. The design is rooted in the tranquil setting of a basin, emphasizing wellness, social interaction, and a connection to nature. The intent is to foster an atmosphere that reduces isolation and enhances the emotional and psychological well-being of patients and their families.

### Spatial Configuration
The layout of "Home for Us" employs a strategic zoning approach to create distinct areas for private patient rooms, communal spaces, and staff facilities. This thoughtful organization ensures that patient privacy is prioritized while also encouraging meaningful social interactions. Dedicated pause spaces are integrated throughout the facility, allowing patients and visitors to take reflective breaks within the serene environment. Each patient room is designed with a balcony overlooking landscaped gardens, further promoting autonomy and a personal connection to outdoor serenity.

### Materiality and Cultural Integration
The material selection for "Home for Us" combines contemporary design with traditional Korean influences, enhancing the building’s relationship with its cultural context. The façade prominently features face brick, providing warmth and a tactile quality. Concrete serves as a fundamental structural element, contributing to an overall sense of openness. Additionally, traditional Korean wood is used in interior finishes to evoke familiarity, while expansive glass elements facilitate natural light flow and blur the boundaries between interiors and the surrounding nature, thus reinforcing the design's commitment to ecological sustainability and community wellness.

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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

Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
100,000€ Prize / 2025
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
Kinderspace
Kinderspace
Architecture for Children’s Development #3
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