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Timber Texture and Stone Façade Enhance Tranquility in a Mountain Yoga Retreat

Authors:
Fan Xue, Jian Meng, Xu Wang
Timber Texture and Stone Façade Enhance Tranquility in a Mountain Yoga Retreat

Project in-detail

A meditation patio welcomes visitors to a serene mountain retreat, where a harmonious blend of timber textures and a stone façade create an environment ideal for yoga and community engagement.
5 key facts about this project
01
Meditation patio serves as a tranquil entry point, enhancing the visitor experience.
02
The design integrates with the steep mountain slope, optimizing views and natural light.
03
Changing areas and communal spaces promote social interaction post-yoga sessions.
04
A zen garden complements the yoga room, extending the practice outdoors.
05
Timber textures and a stone façade minimize environmental impact while maintaining aesthetic appeal.

The new yoga shala is set on a steep mountain slope, designed to take advantage of the expansive views of the surrounding landscape. The building features a multi-level layout that blends with the land, focusing on creating a calm environment for yoga and meditation. The design emphasizes tranquility and promotes connections among users who seek both individual practice and community engagement.

Spatial Organization

The upper level includes a meditation patio that welcomes visitors and creates a peaceful entry into the building. This patio sets a calming tone, leading people into the heart of the space. The middle level is equipped with necessary facilities such as changing areas, bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room. These spaces cater to practical needs while encouraging social interaction, allowing users to come together after their yoga sessions.

Connection to Nature

The lowest level is dedicated to a yoga room, designed to enhance the experience of being close to nature. This room aims to promote focus and tranquility. It opens directly to a zen-style garden, which serves as an extension of the yoga space. The garden provides opportunities for relaxation and mindfulness, reinforcing the connection between indoor and outdoor environments.

Materiality and Sustainable Design

Materials have been selected carefully to balance aesthetics and environmental responsibility. The combination of wood, glass, and concrete with timber textures creates a welcoming and modern interior. Additionally, the stone façade is utilized to minimize the building's environmental impact, underscoring a commitment to sustainability in design.

A central patio links the three levels, allowing natural light to fill the interior spaces. This feature enhances the overall atmosphere by connecting the building to its natural surroundings. The way light enters the space adds to the experience, enriching the environment and supporting the purpose of this yoga shala.

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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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