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Preserving Heritage with Stone and Wood in a Contemporary Wellness Retreat

Authors:
João Pedro Pujoni Facury, Carolina Almeida, Mariana Lima, Marcos Vinícius Lourenço
Preserving Heritage with Stone and Wood in a Contemporary Wellness Retreat
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Utilizing preserved stone and locally sourced wood, the design integrates flowing watercourses to create a harmonious wellness retreat that encourages meditation and reflection.
5 key facts about this project
01
Utilizes a modular layout that encourages seamless indoor and outdoor interactions.
02
Incorporates a silence room specifically designed for focused meditation.
03
Features a green roof that enhances insulation and integrates with the surrounding landscape.
04
Engages local craft through the use of traditional building materials like charred wooden shingles.
05
Integrates natural watercourses into the site, enhancing the meditative experience.

### Overview

Located in Latvia, the Stone Barn Meditation Camp is designed to foster wellness and mindfulness by integrating the built environment with the natural landscape. The project emphasizes a holistic approach to architecture that aligns with principles of sustainability and communal living while maintaining a deep connection to the local topography and ecological systems. The design intentionally reimagines existing natural features, such as ditches and watercourses, to enhance their presence and functionality within the camp.

### Design Principles and User Experience

A central aspect of the design is the notion of ‘redetermination,’ which emphasizes the role of water as a key element in creating a serene atmosphere. The layout includes distinct structures such as a main event hall, sauna, and dormitories, organized to facilitate both community engagement and private reflection. The spaces encourage fluid transitions between indoor and outdoor environments, promoting interactions with nature and enhancing overall comfort for users.

### Material Selection and Sustainability

The camp's architectural elements are characterized by thoughtful material choices that reflect local heritage and environmental consciousness. The existing stone barn has been preserved to maintain a connection with the site's history, while new structures utilize local materials such as brick and wood. Glass features throughout the design enhance natural light and views, while natural stone is employed for flooring and walls to create a tactile link with the environment. Sustainability measures, including rainwater collection systems and solar panels, further reduce the ecological footprint, supporting the camp’s mission of wellness within an eco-friendly framework.

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Affordable Housing Series 19th Edition
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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

Open architecture competitions

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Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 18 September 2025

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MICROHOME

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

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Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025

Celebrating your unbuilt architecture visions with a €100,000 prize

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