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Spruce Wood Structure with Rooftop Garden for Community Gathering

Authors:
Aileen Ross, Solveig Axelsdottir Priebs
Spruce Wood Structure with Rooftop Garden for Community Gathering

Project in-detail

A decorative rooftop garden atop a spruce wood structure creates a community-focused gathering space that enhances the festival experience.
5 key facts about this project
01
Rooftop garden enhances biodiversity and sustainability.
02
Exposed beams create an open, modern aesthetic.
03
Flexible layout allows for stacking food stalls.
04
Designed to integrate with the surrounding natural landscape.
05
Constructed primarily from locally sourced spruce wood.

The Sansusí Forest Food Court serves as a focal point during the Sansusí Chamber Music Festival in rural Latvia. It is designed to enhance the festival experience by creating a space for food and community interaction. The overall concept revolves around simplicity and practicality, allowing for flexible setups that can adapt to the needs of the festival.

Spatial Organization

The design follows a straightforward approach, using the basic structure of four walls and a roof. This simplicity allows for varied arrangements of food stalls, accommodating different vendors and culinary options throughout the event. Stacking food stalls is a key feature of the layout, maximizing vertical space. This also opens opportunities for more stages or seating areas, adding to the space's versatility.

Materiality and Construction

The structure emphasizes an open aesthetic, featuring visible beams and basic construction elements. This design choice supports a clean and modern look while allowing for additional features such as benches, swings, and customized lighting. Spruce wood is the main material used, selected for its availability in the region. This aspect aligns with the project's focus on sustainability and environmental awareness.

Sustainable Design Features

Sustainability is a significant consideration in the project. Roof gardens are included as part of the design, bringing ecological benefits. These gardens can host photovoltaic systems and support local biodiversity. Such elements demonstrate a commitment to environmental responsibility, blending the built structure with the natural landscape around it.

Lighting and Ambiance

Attention to detail extends to the ambiance of the space. Anchor points for lighting enhance the atmosphere during nighttime, creating a warm and inviting environment. This feature not only improves visibility but also encourages social interaction among festival-goers. The thoughtful use of lighting enriches the overall experience in the food court, helping to create a sense of community in this vibrant 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

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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