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Rammed Earth Pavilion with Gabion Walls and Bowl Seating for Community Engagement

Author:
Adela Ho
Rammed Earth Pavilion with Gabion Walls and Bowl Seating for Community Engagement

Project in-detail

Constructed from rammed earth and framed by gabion walls, the pavilion offers a bowl-shaped audience space that enhances community interaction through performances and lectures.
5 key facts about this project
01
Rammed earth walls are created using locally sourced materials.
02
The audience area features a unique bowl-shaped design for improved acoustics.
03
Gabion walls provide structural support while visually blending with the landscape.
04
Hemp tarps serve as a lightweight, natural roofing material.
05
Access is exclusively by boat, enhancing the connection with the coastal environment.

The rammed earth pavilion is located at a gulf surrounded by the ocean, creating a strong connection between the building and the natural environment. It serves as a community gathering space for lectures and performances, emphasizing social interaction. The design concept reflects themes of sustainability and cultural narratives, offering visitors an engaging experience linked to nature and human survival.

Foundation and Structural Elements
The building's foundation uses Cast-in-Place concrete along with gabion sea walls, which provide stability while addressing the challenges posed by the coastal site. This choice of foundation materials ensures that the structure can withstand environmental conditions. The rammed earth walls, made from local sand, gravel, and clay, strengthen the link between the pavilion and its geographical setting, promoting ecological awareness.

Access and Visitor Experience
Visitors approach the pavilion by boat, arriving at a dock in the south bay. This mode of arrival enhances the experience of connecting with the waterfront surroundings. Upon entering, guests find a concaved stage designed to host various performances and lectures, reinforcing the pavilion's role as a communal hub. The audience chamber, shaped like a bowl and carved into the earth, provides comfortable seating and excellent acoustics, which promote interaction among those present.

Integration of Natural Elements
Natural materials are thoughtfully used throughout the design. The roof, covered with hemp tarps, offers shelter while blending with the outdoor landscape. The exhibitions are built into the thick walls, inviting visitors to engage with both the architecture and the artworks. This integration creates a space where the design itself tells a story, encouraging guests to observe their surroundings and reflect on the relationship between art and nature.

Distinctive Aesthetic and Cultural Narrative
The architectural design draws on cultural narratives that evoke themes of arrival and connection to the earth. This storytelling aspect enriches the visitor's experience, making the space more meaningful. The pavilion's form and function are interconnected, with each element thoughtfully arranged to enhance the narrative. In the end, the design invites individuals to pause and reflect within the natural landscape that surrounds them.

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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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