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Translucent Skin Enveloping Timber Sphere Defines Cultural Space

Authors:
Rolando jesús Vázquez martínez, Jose maría Alvarado alvarado
Translucent Skin Enveloping Timber Sphere Defines Cultural Space

Project in-detail

A translucent skin envelops a timber sphere, creating an immersive cultural space that fosters community engagement and exploration of humanity's collective memory.
5 key facts about this project
01
A translucent skin provides dynamic light play within the interior spaces.
02
The design incorporates a suspended CORE that centers the experience around human knowledge.
03
Timber elements promote ecological integration with the surrounding landscape.
04
Geometric forms like the square and circle enhance spatial harmony and proportion.
05
Public areas encourage community interaction and cultural activities throughout the space.

The architectural design is located between Valladolid and Chichen Itzá in Yucatán, Mexico, and reflects a deep human desire to create a lasting legacy. This project emerges within a region rich in history, acting as a bridge between the present and future. The concept centers on adaptation, encouraging a meaningful relationship between people and their environment. It addresses how architecture can express collective memory while remaining relevant across different generations.

Geometric Forms and Spatial Configuration

At the core of the design are two shapes: the square and the circle. These forms symbolize symmetry, proportion, and harmony. They guide the overall design language and influence the way space is organized. Each area is deliberately connected, creating a flow that allows for easy movement and interaction. Visitors can explore various spaces that offer both intimacy and openness, enriching their experience as they navigate through.

Materiality and Aesthetic Intent

Material choices are intentional and reflect the surrounding environment. A translucent skin wraps around the central sphere, inviting light to enter while protecting the interior. This feature creates a sense of continuity and transformation, as the pavilion engages with changing natural conditions. Timber is also used strategically, linking the structure to the landscape. It helps foster a relationship with local vegetation, softening the divide between nature and built space.

Programmatic Organization and Visitor Experience

The layout consists of both interior and exterior elements, enhancing how visitors engage with the site. A lobby serves as the entry point, guiding people up a vertical pathway that leads to two galleries and a large open exhibition hall. This journey ends at the CORE, a central sphere filled with knowledge focused on understanding humanity. The organization of spaces promotes an intuitive experience while encouraging exploration and reflection.

Public Integration and Community Space

Outside, cubic structures define areas that invite public interaction and community involvement. The exterior shell houses studios for various creative activities and features an observation point that offers a panoramic view. A network of stairs and pathways connects these functions, making movement fluid and natural. Additionally, a smaller volume holds a cafeteria and dining area, providing social spaces that enhance the visitor experience.

Attention to detail marks the design, where each element contributes to a strong connection with the surrounding environment. The careful arrangement of spaces allows the architecture to engage with its historical and cultural context, creating opportunities for visitors to appreciate both the landscape and the human experience it embodies.

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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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