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Rammed Earth Sanctuary With Cascading Light Play Over Coastal Views

Author:
Rory Noble-turner
Rammed Earth Sanctuary With Cascading Light Play Over Coastal Views

Project in-detail

Emerging from the coastal landscape, this rammed earth pavilion features a spiraling form that captures and refracts natural light, creating a tranquil space dedicated to contemplation and reflection.
5 key facts about this project
01
Integrates the form of a nautilus shell to guide visitors on a reflective journey.
02
Constructed primarily from rammed earth, promoting environmental responsiveness.
03
Features precise vertical cuts to create dynamic light patterns within the space.
04
Includes a handrail that emerges from the outer wall, enhancing circulation flow.
05
Offers panoramic coastal views from a raised vantage point inside the pavilion.

The Nautilus Pavilion is situated along the Great British coastline, providing a calm place for visitors to reflect and find peace. Inspired by the shape of the nautilus shell, the pavilion invites individuals to explore its interior, where the sounds of the waves enhance the experience. The design connects closely with the coastal environment, allowing the structure to blend with the landscape.

Design Concept
- The main idea behind the pavilion is to create a reflective space that feels at one with its surroundings. Its shape can be viewed in different ways, such as a sandcastle or a lighthouse. This variety helps the pavilion resonate with the natural landscape, while the thick sloped walls rise directly from the earth, emphasizing its relationship with the terrain.

Materiality
- The pavilion primarily uses rammed earth and corten steel. The rammed earth provides strength and durability, establishing a solid connection to the site. The contrast between the rough texture of the earth and the smoothness of corten steel plays an important role in the overall design. This combination enhances the visitor's experience and creates a meaningful relationship between the natural and man-made elements.

Spatial Experience
- Approaching the pavilion, visitors notice a top-heavy silhouette allowing light to break through carefully placed vertical sections. This aspect invites curiosity, leading individuals from the lively coastal area into a quieter internal space. Once inside, three walls soar upwards, forming an enclosed yet open atmosphere. Light filters through the gaps, illuminating rough surfaces that echo natural forms, inviting people to appreciate being surrounded by both architecture and nature.

Design Detail
- A handrail extends from one of the outer walls, offering guidance as visitors make their way through the space. This detail connects the inside and outside, ensuring safety while encouraging exploration. As individuals ascend, they can enjoy expansive views of the horizon, finding moments of reflection that link their experience to the environment. The interplay of light, shadow, and texture enriches the sense of place, creating a space where visitors can engage deeply with the coastal landscape.

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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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