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Translucent Envelope and Timber Skin Create a Cozy Meditation Retreat

Authors:
Alberto Carbonell, Marina Bonet
Translucent Envelope and Timber Skin Create a Cozy Meditation Retreat

Project in-detail

The cabin’s translucent envelope and timber skin seamlessly integrate with the forest landscape, providing a serene refuge designed for meditation and reflection.
5 key facts about this project
01
Custom-designed dormer window enhances natural light and connects visitors to the surroundings.
02
Translucent polycarbonate façade provides thermal insulation while allowing soft daylight filtering.
03
Compact footprint allows for efficient use of space, accommodating multiple functions.
04
Timber skin integrates with the forest landscape, reinforcing a sense of place.
05
Adaptable screw piles enable installation in varied geographical contexts.

The Dormer Window Cabin serves as a meditation refuge in a peaceful natural setting, designed to promote introspection and a deep connection with the surroundings. The design is based on a triangular form, which stands for balance and concentration. This shape transitions into a small dormer window that emphasizes intimacy. Positioned above the ground, the cabin allows visitors to engage in quiet reflection, creating an atmosphere ideal for meditation while efficiently using space for a variety of functions.

Design Concept

The cabin's layout emphasizes tranquility and separation from the outside world, encouraging visitors to focus on their thoughts. The space is compact yet thoughtfully organized, ensuring all necessary functions are met without compromising user comfort. Multi-permeable layers are integrated into the design, filtering natural light and creating a soothing atmosphere throughout the day. At night, the warm light from the chimney offers a sense of comfort, subtly connecting the cabin to its darkened surroundings.

Materiality

A translucent envelope is central to the project, defining three key levels of space: exterior, semi-exterior, and interior. This skin merges indoor and outdoor areas, providing comfort while shielding from external elements. The materials chosen reflect the vertical lines of the surrounding forest, allowing sunlight and wildlife to enter through the tent-shaped opening, which enhances the bond between occupants and nature.

Structural Integration

Timber skins are employed to create shelter and connect the interior with the outside, reinforcing the ideas of balance and unity in the design. The dual-skin polycarbonate façade offers effective thermal performance and protection against changing weather. Additionally, a sub-floor structure with adaptable screw piles allows the cabin to be placed in various geographical contexts without losing its design principles.

Through the careful arrangement of layers, spatial considerations, and thoughtful integration with nature, the project becomes a sanctuary that aligns with its environment. Light filters through the translucent skin, creating a soft and inviting atmosphere that enriches the meditative experience inside.

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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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