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Meditation Cabin Featuring Locally Sourced Timber and Sensory Garden for Enhanced Healing Experiences

Authors:
Samuel Kumar, James Jones

Project in-detail

Nestled within a serene woodland, this meditation cabin features locally sourced timber construction and an integrated sensory garden, creating a tranquil retreat designed to harmoniously connect users with nature and enhance their therapeutic experience.
5 key facts about this project
01
- The cabin incorporates a sensory garden beneath its elevated structure, featuring healing plants to enhance the therapeutic environment.
02
Locally sourced air-dried timber is utilized to reduce the carbon footprint while creating a natural aesthetic that blends with the surrounding forest.
03
The design includes large openings for passive ventilation, allowing fresh air to circulate while maintaining indoor comfort without mechanical systems.
04
A sustainable water management system directs runoff from the cabin to nourish the sensory garden, emphasizing ecological responsibility.
05
The distinctive bent A-frame structure allows for increased interior height while providing an unobstructed view of the natural landscape from within.
The architectural project represents a meditation cabin designed to serve as a serene retreat for individuals seeking a closer connection to nature and personal reflection. Nestled within a wooded area, this project emphasizes the importance of harmony between the built environment and the natural landscape, creating a space where users can find solace away from the distractions of urban life. The cabin is intended for use by therapists and their clients, facilitating therapeutic sessions in an environment that fosters relaxation and introspective engagement.

Functionally, the cabin comprises two main areas: a treatment room and a semi-outdoor balcony space that extends the experience of meditation into the natural surroundings. This dual-space design allows for seamless transitions, enabling clients to move between indoor therapy sessions and outdoor mindfulness practices. The configuration reflects a careful consideration of privacy, comfort, and accessibility while ensuring a connection to the environment.

One of the project’s key features is its materiality. The structure is primarily built from locally sourced air-dried timber, which not only aestheticizes the cabin but also aligns with sustainable building practices. This choice of material allows the cabin to blend into its surroundings, minimizing visual disruption in the landscape. In addition to timber, structural steel components are used for support, enhancing stability while maintaining ease of assembly and transportation. The untreated timber also exemplifies a flexible design approach, allowing various elements of the structure to be replaced or adapted over time, reducing waste and promoting sustainability.

Ventilation and natural light play crucial roles in the cabin’s design. The carefully spaced timber cladding facilitates air circulation while filtering sunlight, creating a comfortable indoor atmosphere without relying heavily on artificial lighting or climate control systems. Large openings connect the interior with the outside world, allowing users to experience nature's sights, sounds, and scents—essential components of the restorative ambiance the cabin seeks to provide.

The cabin’s elevation off the ground establishes an unobtrusive footprint, ensuring minimal impact on the surrounding ecology. This raised design not only protects the structure from potential flooding but also offers unique vantage points of the forest landscape, enhancing the user experience. Underneath the cabin, a sensory garden filled with healing plants like lavender and aloe vera invites engagement with the natural environment. Water from the cabin's interior, channeled to nourish the garden, exemplifies a thoughtful integration of water management within the overall design strategy.

Unique design approaches featured in this project prioritize a close synergy with natural elements while addressing the psychological needs of its users. By promoting an interaction with the sensory garden, the cabin encourages clients to immerse themselves in the therapeutic qualities of nature, reinforcing the project’s core objective of reconnection—with both the self and the environment. This reciprocal relationship between structure and landscape establishes a meditative space that prompts introspection and tranquility.

For those interested in a deeper understanding of the architectural solutions presented within this project, I encourage you to explore the architectural plans, sections, designs, and ideas that capture the essence of this cabin. This analysis offers merely a glimpse into the thought processes and design evolutions that shape its effectiveness as a sanctuary for meditation.
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100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10
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100,000€ Prize / 2025

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

Competition organisers

The 10th edition of the MICROHOME architecture competition invites architects and designers from around the world to explore the possibilities of compact, sustainable living. Hosted by Buildner in collaboration with Kingspan and Hapi Homes, this special edition challenges participants to design an off-grid, modular microhome for a young professional couple, with a maximum floor area of 25 m². Designs should prioritize innovation, efficiency, and real-world feasibility. 

A total prize fund of 100,000 € will be awarded, including three main prizes, the Kingspan Award, and the Hapi Homes Award, which will grant 15,000 € and lead to the construction of the selected design. The final registration deadline is September 25, 2025, and winners will be announced on Decebmer 9, 2025. For full competition details and submission guidelines, visit microhome.info.

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
Early bird registration deadline 22 May 2025
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