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Spiral Steel Huts with Thatched Roofs Offering Community Retreat in the Latvian Countryside

Authors:
Chun hei vincent Chan, Pei li sally Li, Ho hang Sit, Wing Yan Lee
Spiral Steel Huts with Thatched Roofs Offering Community Retreat in the Latvian Countryside

Project in-detail

With a spiral arrangement of steel huts topped with thatched roofs, the design offers a communal retreat that nurtures creativity while blending seamlessly into the Latvian landscape.
5 key facts about this project
01
Spiral layout promotes communal interaction while preserving privacy.
02
Huts are uniquely shaped to accommodate different occupancy levels.
03
Steel construction ensures durability and design flexibility.
04
Thatched roofs reflect local building traditions and enhance insulation.
05
Natural landscaping integrates the project seamlessly into the environment.

The Pavilosta poet huts are designed to offer a peaceful retreat in the Latvian countryside, serving as a creative space for poets and artists. Set against a backdrop of natural beauty, the project aims to provide a welcoming environment where individuals can reflect and find inspiration. The overall design fosters a blend of community and solitude, allowing residents to connect with nature while enjoying their private spaces.

Spiral Arrangement

The layout of the huts features a spiral formation, surrounding a central common hall that acts as a focal point for gathering. This setup encourages interaction among residents, while the distance between huts and the hall preserves personal space. The pathways connecting these structures are lined with trees, enhancing the site's connection to the landscape and providing a tranquil environment.

Architectural Forms

Each hut has a unique shape, reflecting its purpose and accommodating different numbers of occupants. The varied designs mirror the divisions present in the central common hall, creating a sense of unity across the site. This approach allows residents to enjoy distinct yet complementary spaces that cater to their individual needs without sacrificing the collective spirit of the community.

Material Selection

Steel is the primary material used for construction, chosen for its ability to support heavy loads and its flexibility in design. This choice allows for diverse forms in the huts, optimizing the layout for various occupancy levels. Steel’s durability contributes to the huts' long-term resilience, ensuring they can withstand the elements while meeting the design's functional requirements.

Sustainability Considerations

Sustainability is a key aspect of the design, focusing on the use of natural resources. The project maximizes daylight and ventilation, promoting energy efficiency. By integrating the built environment with its natural surroundings, the design respects the landscape while enhancing the experience for residents. Each hut's features are mindful of the ecological context, ensuring that the project contributes positively to the environment.

The roofs of the huts feature traditional thatching, providing insulation and managing rainwater effectively. This detail not only ties the structures to local building practices but also reinforces their connection to the landscape, creating a harmonious living space.

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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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