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Larch-Clad Huts Surrounding a Central Fire in a Community Garden

Authors:
Baldur Snorrason, Erla Ólafsdóttir
Larch-Clad Huts Surrounding a Central Fire in a Community Garden

Project in-detail

Seven larch-clad huts forming a circular layout around a shared central fire create a communal environment that fosters storytelling and collaboration, while a garden offers a space for relaxation and growing food.
5 key facts about this project
01
Seven huts are arranged in a circular formation around a central fire.
02
Each hut features a private veranda that buffers users from the communal space.
03
Solar panels on the roofs provide renewable energy for the community.
04
A dedicated vegetable plot allows residents to cultivate their own food.
05
The design includes a garden with diverse seasonal flora and evergreen plants.

A circular arrangement of seven huts creates a space centered around an open fire. This design encourages gathering and conversation, focusing on storytelling as a communal activity. Set in a natural landscape, it blends together solitude and community to create a harmonious living environment.

Architecture Concept
The layout provides two distinct zones. The inner area forms an introverted space designed for social interactions and quiet reflection. Here, residents can gather to brainstorm or tend to the garden. The outer circle allows for privacy and offers views of the surrounding landscape. This thoughtful arrangement serves the different needs of the occupants, allowing for both personal time and community connection.

Materials and Sustainability
Constructed with prefabricated timber units from a local factory, the huts are efficient to assemble and more environmentally friendly. Solar panels on the roofs supply renewable energy, which demonstrates a commitment to sustainability. Larch wood cladding, which will weather and change over time, helps the huts blend into the landscape, creating a natural visual connection.

Garden Integration
A central garden enhances the circle's character, contrasting with the broader surroundings. This area showcases a variety of evergreen plants and seasonal flowers, along with a plot for growing vegetables. The garden serves as a refuge for relaxation and socializing, promoting a connection to nature and encouraging community involvement.

Cultural Focus
The open fire at the center of the circle acts as a gathering point, highlighting the importance of storytelling and collaboration. This feature invites shared experiences, fostering dialogue and creativity among residents. The design ensures that while the community shares a space, each individual hut offers personal privacy, allowing residents to enjoy both solitude and connection within a collective 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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