Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

Learn from past Buildner architecture competition participants through our extensive project library, curated over more than 15 years!

Rammed Earth Forms and Dry Stone Walls Enhancing Valley Retreat

Authors:
Maxime Terriac, Pauline Lotz, Carole Dureau
Rammed Earth Forms and Dry Stone Walls Enhancing Valley Retreat
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
Crafted from rammed earth and dry stone walls, the retreat offers a serene environment for yoga practitioners, designed to harmonize with its valley setting while promoting a strong connection to nature.
5 key facts about this project
01
Rammed earth walls feature rounded openings for natural light and ventilation.
02
Dry stone construction integrates the building into the landscape, ensuring stability and low maintenance.
03
Design incorporates terraces to follow the natural slope, enhancing views and accessibility.
04
The yoga room's angled walls create framed vistas of the surrounding valley.
05
Pathways connect functional areas, promoting movement and interaction with nature.

The Yoga House, set in the peaceful landscape of Vale de Moses, is designed as a retreat space for those seeking tranquility through yoga practice. The building promotes a strong connection to the natural environment, allowing users to feel at one with the outdoors. The main concept focuses on creating a harmonious and reflective space that supports well-being through thoughtful organization, suitable materials, and spatial relationships.

FUNCTIONAL ZONING

The layout of the Yoga House consists of three main areas: the kitchen, bathrooms, and the yoga room. Each section is placed carefully to follow the natural slope of the land. The bathrooms are located at the highest point, offering privacy and panoramic views. The kitchen occupies a lower level, making it easier for users to access. The yoga room is situated at the lowest level, facing the valley, which enhances the experience of practicing yoga with beautiful scenery.

MATERIALITY AND DESIGN ELEMENTS

The choice of materials is important in shaping the character of the Yoga House. Local dry stone is used for the load-bearing walls, creating a strong and stable structure that connects well with the site. In the kitchen and bathrooms, rammed earth features rounded openings that allow natural light and fresh air to enter. This choice helps to make the interior spaces both pleasant and functional while respecting the environment.

ARCHITECTURAL EXPRESSION

The design includes outdoor pathways that link the main areas, inviting movement and interaction with nature. The yoga room has angled walls that frame lovely views of the valley, making each yoga session feel immersive. Dividing the structure into smaller components helps maintain a human scale. This thoughtful approach creates an inviting ambiance without overwhelming the surrounding landscape.

The design respects the environment, guiding users to a space defined by calmness and reflection. The careful arrangement of spaces and the use of local materials come together to form a retreat that is both cohesive and distinctive within its natural setting.

Noticed a mistake?
Highlight the text and click on
Noticed a mistake

Enter an open architecture
competition now

The Home of 
Shadows
The Home of Shadows
The light studies. Edition #4
The Next House: USA
The Next House: USA
20,000 USD Prize
The Architect's 
Chair
The Architect's Chair
Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5
Kinderspace
Kinderspace
Architecture for Children’s Development #3
The Architect’s 
Stair
The Architect’s Stair
Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026
100,000€ Prize / 2026

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

`
Competition organisers

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.

The Next House: USA

Design the next suburban home for the USA

20,000 USD Prize ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 19 November 2025

Open architecture competitions

  • Closest deadline first
  • Project competitions first
    Selected winning projects have the potential to be constructed
  • Ideas competitions
    Experimental competitions with the focus on pushing the boundaries of creativity
new
The Next House: USA

Design the next suburban home for the USA

20,000 USD Prize ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 19 November 2025
new
Iceland 
Slow Sauna

Design slow sauna in Iceland

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 26 November 2025
Concrete 
Pavilion

Design a concrete pavilion

Edition #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 27 November 2025
new
Pavilion Atlas 2026

Design a story of your country

ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 21 January 2026

Recurring architecture competitions

new
The Home of 
Shadows

Design a home with no artificial lighting

The light studies. Edition #4 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility OPEN TO ALL
Early bird registration deadline 5 November 2025
The Last 
Nuclear Bomb Memorial

Design a memorial that speaks to the cause of ending all nuclear weapons programs

Edition #6 ideas COMPETITION SILENT CONTEST For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 13 November 2025
new
The Architect's 
Chair

Take a seat and make a statement!

Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 20 November 2025
Hospice - 
Home for the 
Terminally ill

Design a safe and supportive space to those struggling with a terminal illness

Edition #5 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 10,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 26 November 2025
Kinderspace

Design a kindergarten of tomorrow

Architecture for Children’s Development #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 26 November 2025
Museum of 
Emotions

Use architecture to create different emotional states

Edition #7 ideas COMPETITION SILENT CONTEST For this competition, NO DESCRIPTION TEXT is allowed. The architecture ideas must be communicated strictly with visuals.
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 27 November 2025
Re:Form - 
New Life 
for Old Spaces

Choose a site—used, abandoned, or forgotten—anywhere in the world, and give it a new purpose

Edition #2 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 3 December 2025
The Architect’s 
Stair

Take a step and make a statement!

Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 15 January 2026
new
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026

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

100,000€ Prize / 2026 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 26 February 2026

Media, partners and clients

To view this project in detail,
please log in with your
Architects’ Network Plus account.
Subscription instantly unlocks all the architecture projects plus other member-only benefits:
  • Access the 17,725 Concept Library
  • Professional tools including file transfer, email, portfolio management, and more
Register now
Already a member? Log in

This website uses cookies to improve user experience and gather usage statistics.

More information is available in our Privacy & Cookie policy