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Soil-Filled Jute Structures Creating Natural Gathering Spaces in Forest Settings

Authors:
Niklavs Krievs, Ramon Cordova
Soil-Filled Jute Structures Creating Natural Gathering Spaces in Forest Settings

Project in-detail

Soil-filled jute bags form an eco-sensitive seating landscape, harmonizing with native flora to create communal gathering spaces during the Sanusi Festival.
5 key facts about this project
01
Soil-filled jute bags serve as both structural and aesthetic elements, promoting vegetation growth.
02
The design incorporates naturally water-repellent cotton canvas for flexible roofing solutions.
03
Food stalls feature a modular wooden framework, facilitating easy transport and setup.
04
Seating arrangements are integrated into the landscape, ensuring minimal environmental disruption.
05
The project utilizes local materials, reinforcing community engagement and sustainability.

The ZEM BARS project is an architectural initiative designed for the Sanusi Festival, situated within a forest environment. This design embraces the natural landscape, creating spaces that cater to social interaction while minimizing ecological impact. The architecture implements sustainable practices and locally sourced materials, highlighting the project's commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement.

The primary function of ZEM BARS is to provide a multifaceted venue for festival activities and community gatherings. It features food stalls, seating, and social spaces that align with the natural contours of the forest floor, facilitating a seamless integration with the environment. The project demonstrates how architecture can enhance the user experience by creating areas conducive to interaction, collaboration, and enjoyment while maintaining a respect for the surrounding ecosystem.

Innovative Material Use and Design Techniques

One of the defining aspects of ZEM BARS is its unique approach to material use, particularly through the implementation of soil-bag landscaping. The structural framework consists of wooden natural jute bags filled with local soil, serving both as seating and structural support. This approach not only utilizes local resources but also promotes ecological health by allowing vegetation growth within the bags.

Additionally, the project features modular wooden food stalls constructed from lightweight timber beams. These stalls are designed to be foldable and easily transportable, allowing for efficient setup and dismantling. This design flexibility is essential for accommodating fluctuating crowd sizes typical of festival environments, making the architecture adaptable to varying use scenarios.

Spatial Integration and Community Engagement

ZEM BARS is strategically located along existing forest paths, enhancing its accessibility. The placement of seating and social spaces within the landscape encourages visitors to engage with each other and the natural environment. By creating nodes within the forest, the design fosters community interaction and promotes a sense of belonging among festival-goers.

The project further emphasizes sustainability through its potential for post-event adaptation. After the festival, the soil bags can serve as a basis for future landscaping initiatives, allowing native flora to grow and contributing to the forest's ecological integrity. This forward-thinking design approach ensures that the impact of the project persists long after the event has concluded.

Explore the ZEM BARS project presentation for a comprehensive view of architectural plans, architectural sections, and architectural designs that detail these innovative features and design ideas. By reviewing these elements, you can gain deeper insights into the project and its unique contributions to architecture within a natural setting.

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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

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