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Slotted Wood Cabins With Azulejos Framing Tranquil Meditation Spaces

Authors:
Jordan Marshall, Emma Van geuns, Julia Young, Nicholas Pietrinferno
Slotted Wood Cabins With Azulejos Framing Tranquil Meditation Spaces

Project in-detail

Slotted wooden panels and azulejos define a series of meditation cabins that harmonize with the landscape while providing peaceful spaces for reflection.
5 key facts about this project
01
Slotted wooden panels provide unique visual connections to the surrounding landscape.
02
Azulejos frame panoramic views, adding cultural and aesthetic significance.
03
Sustainable rainwater collection systems support landscape irrigation and enhance ecological responsibility.
04
The interior features a stone floor that acts as a thermal mass for temperature regulation.
05
Each cabin's orientation ensures optimal sunlight exposure throughout the year.

The design in Vale de Moses features a series of meditation cabins positioned on a cliff edge, integrating closely with the natural landscape. Each cabin serves as a space for reflection and inner peace, allowing visitors to connect with the surroundings. The overall design concept focuses on blending with the environment, enhancing user experience while providing privacy and serenity amid the beauty of the valley below.

Architectural Composition

The meditation cabins are carefully designed to follow the contours of the hillside. With steep roofs that resemble the forms of nearby pine trees, the structures rise from the ground, contributing to a unified profile in the landscape. The mix of cubic and prismatic shapes creates a fluid, organic feel, echoing the natural features of the site. This thoughtful approach ensures that the cabins sit harmoniously within their setting.

Entry Experience

Visitors enter through a unique passageway made of slotted wood panels. This feature serves as an inviting transition, offering glimpses of the vibrant nature outside. The design encourages exploration, with native plants intertwining with the panels, enhancing the sensory experience of the approach. This anticipation sets the stage for the calm and peaceful atmosphere found inside the cabins.

Interior Design and Functionality

Inside, the cabins reflect a minimalist aesthetic that promotes tranquility. Large windows framed with azulejos provide wide views of the valley and allow natural light to flood the interiors. The layout prioritizes a spacious meditation area, while functional elements like storage are placed at the back to reduce distractions. This arrangement supports focused meditation, creating a peaceful environment.

Sustainability Features

Sustainability is an important aspect of the design, seen through features like passive solar heating and a rainwater collection system. The stone floor serves as a thermal mass, helping regulate temperature throughout the seasons. Windows are strategically oriented to maximize sunlight in winter and minimize heat in summer, complemented by a green roof that adds insulation. This attention to sustainable practices underscores the goal of reducing the ecological impact.

Natural materials like wood, clay plaster, and stone enhance the design by connecting it to the local environment. These choices emphasize a commitment to sustainability and create a feeling of closeness to nature. Each cabin culminates in a large, open window that invites in light and the sounds of the surrounding landscape, anchoring visitors in their experience and encouraging a deep appreciation for their natural surroundings.

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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
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