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Narrative Spaces for Gathering and Reflection

Authors:
Jae Sik Park, Ju Young Choi
Narrative Spaces for Gathering and Reflection
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With a focus on narrative spaces that encourage connection, the Pavilion integrates carefully planned areas for workshops, galleries, and cafes, facilitating communal experiences and individual reflection.
5 key facts about this project
01
Designed to promote communal interaction through thoughtful spatial organization.
02
Incorporates cross-laminated timber panels for structural efficiency and sustainability.
03
Features charred wooden shingles for enhanced durability and aesthetic appeal.
04
Includes restricted access to individual rooms to deepen visitor engagement.
05
Outdoor square serves as a gathering point for shared experiences and dialogue.

The Pavilion is designed to reflect the importance of community interaction through its careful arrangement of spaces. Located in a lively setting, the building includes a mix of functions such as workshops, galleries, cafes, and performance areas. The design focuses on gathering people, sharing experiences, and connecting individual stories within a shared environment.

Layout and Functionality

Two levels make up the Pavilion, each offering unique areas that encourage different types of visitor interactions. The ground floor features a workshop, two galleries, a conference room, and a reception area, while the upper floor contains another workshop, two cafes, and a performance space. This thoughtful layout allows for distinct activities and experiences, creating opportunities for both exploration and reflection.

Connection and Dispersal

The reception functions as a guide, leading visitors through a dark passage into their chosen experiences. By allowing visitors to engage with one room at a time, the design promotes a deeper connection with each narrative. This method encourages individuals to reflect on their experiences, enriching their visit as they find ways to relate what they have seen and heard to their own lives.

Communal Gathering

At the end of their journeys, visitors come together in an outdoor square. Here, the space is designed for connection and dialogue, allowing people to share their insights and experiences. The gathering point reinforces the central idea of community and interaction, demonstrating how individual experiences intertwine to create a broader understanding. Each event takes place in its own time and space, yet they contribute to a larger conversation among visitors.

Design Detail

As individuals navigate through the Pavilion, they encounter features that invite them to pause and engage. The rooms are crafted to provide unique experiences, culminating in the outdoor square, which serves as a place for social interaction. The design emphasizes the importance of human connection, making the Pavilion a space where shared experiences can flourish.

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

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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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