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Glass Flooring and Local Lumber Create a Harmonious Cabin Experience

Authors:
Dillon Gorton, Rory Lowe
Glass Flooring and Local Lumber Create a Harmonious Cabin Experience

Project in-detail

Utilizing local lumber and innovative glass flooring, the design integrates a rooftop garden and a unique southern edge to create a small yet inviting cabin that immerses residents in the surrounding landscape.
5 key facts about this project
01
The southern edge aligns with neighboring structures for improved views and sunlight.
02
Local lumber is used to reflect the regional identity and reduce environmental impact.
03
A glass floor design reveals the landscape below, enhancing indoor-outdoor connection.
04
The rooftop garden promotes biodiversity and offers an elevated green space.
05
Multiple levels feature large windows that facilitate natural light throughout the cabin.

The project is located in the Mid-East region of Portugal and serves as a residential cabin designed to connect with nature. The overall concept revolves around blending the indoor spaces with the surrounding landscape. The aim is to create a living environment that is both comfortable and sustainable, respecting the local context.

Design Intent
The cabin's design features a unique southernmost edge that aligns with nearby structures. This detail enhances the views from inside while allowing more sunlight to enter the space. Such alignment not only improves the quality of light but also creates a visual link between the cabin and its environment, encouraging interaction with the landscape.

Material Choices
The project emphasizes the use of materials that are native to the region, focusing on sustainability. The primary materials include lumber and stone, sourced locally to reduce environmental impacts. This choice helps to create a strong connection to the local culture, ensuring the building fits well within its surroundings.

Spatial Organization
Inside, the cabin is organized on multiple levels connected by large windows. These windows allow light to flow throughout each space, linking the interior with the outdoors. A key feature of the design is the glass flooring, which provides views of the landscape below. This element enhances the connection between indoor and outdoor, blending the boundaries commonly found in traditional architecture.

Rooftop Integration
The cabin includes a rooftop garden that supports local wildlife and plants. This green space offers residents a place to escape and connect with nature above the ground. The design also incorporates textures and patterns that reflect the natural surroundings, giving the cabin a harmony with its setting.

The use of these details contributes to a sense of belonging and unity with the landscape, making the cabin a thoughtful response to its environment.

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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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