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Garden Roof and Bats Den Enhancing Community Living for Artists

Authors:
Gabriele Sorrentino, Claudia Viel, Luca Romanò
Garden Roof and Bats Den Enhancing Community Living for Artists

Project in-detail

A garden roof and a dedicated bats den create a unique living environment that fosters artistic collaboration and family privacy in Latvia's natural landscape, serving as a temporary residence and workshop for painters.
5 key facts about this project
01
Garden roof enhances biodiversity and integrates the building with its environment.
02
Dedicated bats den provides a habitat for local wildlife, promoting ecological awareness.
03
Designed to balance communal living with individual privacy for two families.
04
Workshops are tailored for artistic collaboration among painters.
05
Strategic openings maximize natural light and connection to the outdoors.

DABU HOUSE is located in Latvia and serves as a temporary residence and workshop for painters. The design connects deeply with the surrounding environment, which is marked by lush landscapes and a continental climate. At its core, the project creates a balance between communal living and personal space. It accommodates two families while fostering collaboration and creativity among its residents.

Garden Roof

The roof features a garden that draws inspiration from the ideas of Le Corbusier. This green space provides ecological benefits and enhances the building’s connection to the landscape. The garden roof does not just serve aesthetic purposes; it plays a role in promoting biodiversity and integrating the structure into its natural surroundings.

Bats Den

A notable aspect of the design includes a dedicated bats den situated within the roof. This feature highlights an effort to create a habitat for local wildlife, showing that the design considers the relationship between people and nature. By incorporating these elements, the architecture supports a coexistence of human habitation and environmental health.

Spatial Organization

The internal organization of DABU HOUSE is designed to encourage interaction among the families while providing private areas for retreat. This thoughtful arrangement allows for both community engagement and individual experiences, essential for a setting meant for artistic exploration. The layout supports creativity and socialization without compromising the comfort of personal space.

Attention to the specific climatic conditions in Latvia is evident in the design decisions made. The building's form and features aim to perform well in cold and rainy weather. A key detail includes large openings that invite natural light into the spaces, creating a warm and inviting environment. This attention to light and space enhances the overall experience for its occupants.

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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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Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
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