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Gabion Walls Integrate with Historical Stigas to Enhance Community Interaction

Authors:
Jerome W Haferd, K Brandt Knapp, Keren Dillard, Anete Luste
Gabion Walls Integrate with Historical Stigas to Enhance Community Interaction
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Constructed with gabion walls and aligned with historical stigas, the tower serves as a communal hub, facilitating interaction between humans and horses in a vibrant agricultural landscape.
5 key facts about this project
01
Constructed with gabion walls, utilizing field stones to enhance durability and local character.
02
Strategically aligned with historic stigas, integrating cultural landscape elements into the design.
03
Features a series of floating platforms, providing varied perspectives on the surrounding environment.
04
Includes a semi-enclosed base that serves as a multifunctional gathering space for community interaction.
05
Designed to promote engagement between humans and horses within an agricultural context.

"Stacked Stigas" is a notable design that incorporates a multifunctional tower within a vibrant agricultural landscape. The structure connects people and horses, creating shared spaces that enhance community interaction and engagement with the surrounding environment. The concept is rooted in the area’s historical significance, merging traditional elements with a modern approach to architecture.

Architectural Organization

The design takes a unique approach to tower construction by focusing on the base. The ground level is designed as a gathering space that accommodates various activities throughout the year. This semi-enclosed area serves as a welcoming entrance to the tower, inviting people to experience its offerings. Accessibility and interaction are central themes, ensuring that the space is useful and inviting.

Integration of Historical Context

The design reflects the historical and ecological background of the site. Inspiration is drawn from the stigas, old grid-like clearings that are part of the region’s agricultural landscape. These historical elements are woven into the architecture, providing a narrative that connects past and present. The central core of the tower aligns with the stigas, which underscores the importance of nature and history in this design.

Vertical Experience

The tower features a series of platforms arranged vertically. These floating spaces allow visitors to engage with the landscape at different heights. Each platform is carefully positioned for unique views and experiences. For example, one platform offers a wide perspective of the area, while another frames the historic stigas, encouraging reflection on the site’s significance. This vertical arrangement caters to various activities, whether observing horse events or enjoying the nearby forest.

Materials and Construction

Material choices are essential to the overall design and function of the structure. The design prominently uses gabion walls made of a mesh system filled with field stones. This choice enhances durability and connects the building to local stone construction traditions. The stones vary in size, with larger ones at the bottom and smaller ones at the top, creating an interesting texture and ensuring stability.

The design culminates in a series of platforms that invite exploration. Each space presents different views and interactions, enriching the overall experience of the landscape.

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

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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.

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