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Tea Cuttings and Softwood Embrace in a Private Greenhouse Retreat

Authors:
Craig Desmond, Samantha Fruhwirth, Farah Ahmed
Tea Cuttings and Softwood Embrace in a Private Greenhouse Retreat

Project in-detail

Built with softwood and designed to nurture tea cuttings in a private greenhouse, the retreat offers a serene space for reflection and connection with nature.
5 key facts about this project
01
The cabin includes a private greenhouse dedicated to nurturing tea plants.
02
Sliding doors enhance the connection between interior and exterior spaces.
03
Softwood is primarily used to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
04
The design promotes simple rituals like tea preparation and fire building.
05
Natural light floods the greenhouse, emphasizing the relationship with nature.

The Cabin Gateway project is located along a roadside, presenting a small timber-framed cabin that integrates well with its natural surroundings. Designed to offer a space for personal reflection and connection with nature, it explores themes of escape, enchantment, and encounter. Visitors are invited to step away from their everyday lives, creating an opportunity to immerse themselves in nature and enjoy a moment of tranquility.

Design Concept

The design focuses on enhancing the experience of those who enter. The cabin features an inviting ramp and a tea plant that draw the attention of passersby, encouraging them to venture inside. Inside, a private greenhouse awaits, filled with tea cuttings and seedlings. Sunlight fills this space, creating a nurturing environment that fosters a sense of calm and a deeper connection to the natural world.

Spatial Organization

Sliding doors play an important role in the cabin's layout. These clear doors allow for easy movement between indoor and outdoor areas while bringing in natural light. By maintaining visual connections to the landscape outside, the design encourages awareness of the environment. This relationship between the cabin and its setting highlights how architecture can promote sensory experiences and wellbeing.

Functional Elements

The cabin promotes meaningful activities, such as building a fire and preparing tea. These elements are simple yet important, contributing to a relaxed atmosphere. Engaging in these everyday rituals invites visitors to reflect and unwind. The interior is thoughtfully arranged to support its function as a retreat, allowing individuals to connect not only with their surroundings but also with themselves.

Materials and Aesthetics

Timber framing is a key material in the construction of the cabin, offering a warm and inviting touch. The use of softwood enhances the overall atmosphere while supporting sustainability goals. Architectural details align with the natural context, creating a cohesive space that balances function and aesthetic appeal.

The play of light and shadow within the cabin creates a changing visual experience throughout the day. This connection to light adds to the calming environment, emphasizing the careful design that encourages peaceful moments.

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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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