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Timber Frames Over Mirrored Glass in Elevated Forest Living

Author:
Misak Terzibasiyan
Timber Frames Over Mirrored Glass in Elevated Forest Living

Project in-detail

Elevated above the forest floor, homes constructed with timber frames and mirrored glass create a harmonious living environment that fosters community engagement and sustainable practices through communal gardens.
5 key facts about this project
01
Elevated structures allow trees to grow through the upper floors.
02
Mirrored glass walls reflect the surrounding forest landscape.
03
Communal gardens provide a space for residents to grow food.
04
Low shrubbery conceals parking areas for improved aesthetics.
05
Timber frames create a lightweight appearance while maintaining strength.

"Living among the trees" is a project located in Eindhoven that focuses on integrating homes within a forest setting. The design promotes a close relationship between residents and nature. Each dwelling sits above the ground, preserving the untouched forest floor. With a modest footprint of 25 m², the homes create space for various living arrangements while encouraging outdoor activities and community engagement.

Design Concept

The design emphasizes the idea of blending living spaces with surrounding nature. By elevating the homes, the forest landscape remains intact beneath them. This setup allows for large roof terraces and communal gardens, enhancing biodiversity and fostering a self-sufficient lifestyle for residents.

Materials and Form

The ground floor features mirrored glass walls. This choice allows the buildings to reflect their surroundings, making them less visually intrusive. Above, timber frames support the upper floors, which contain panoramic cut-outs that frame views of the forest. The combination of transparent and reflective surfaces promotes a connection between the homes and the environment.

Landscape Integration

Parking is cleverly placed beneath the first floor overhang, hiding vehicles from sight. Surrounding this area, low shrubbery includes native plants like blackthorn, privet, and red currant. These elements help the homes blend with their natural environment. The rugged appearance created by this landscaping reinforces the theme of living harmoniously with trees.

Biodiversity and Sustainability

The design encourages sustainability through communal vegetable gardens on the roof terraces, allowing residents to grow their own food. This focus on self-sufficiency enhances the local ecosystem. The project also features a greywater recycling system that uses collected rainwater for irrigation, minimizing resource use and demonstrating a commitment to environmental responsibility.

The overall design culminates in a noteworthy detail: trees are allowed to grow through the upper floors of the homes. This feature connects the living spaces to the natural surroundings, enriching the experience of residents as they interact with the forest.

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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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