Get inspired!

17,725 architecture projects

Learn from past Buildner architecture competition participants through our extensive project library, curated over more than 15 years!

Woven Walls and Earth Tones in a Tranquil Meditation Retreat

Authors:
Steven Loutherback, Benjamin Dossett
Woven Walls and Earth Tones in a Tranquil Meditation Retreat
Explore the full project presentation!
Subscribers only
Woven walls echo the surrounding landscape while earth tones enhance the meditative atmosphere of cabins designed for reflection and communal tea preparation.
5 key facts about this project
01
Woven walls create a unique texture that integrates with natural surroundings.
02
Wayfinding devices link cabin access to specific tea plants, enhancing sensory engagement.
03
Adjustable lighting systems allow users to personalize their meditation environment.
04
The cabins are designed for both active and passive meditation practices.
05
Earth tones in materials reflect the colors of the local landscape, promoting a sense of calm.

The Ozolini tea farm is located in the calm Latvian countryside and reflects the close relationship between tea making and meditation. It offers a design that emphasizes peaceful spaces for personal reflection as well as communal interaction. The meditation cabins are arranged thoughtfully throughout the landscape, enhancing the bond between nature and the built environment, while encouraging visitors to connect with both their surroundings and their inner thoughts.

Spatial Organization and Functionality

The arrangement of the meditation cabins supports different forms of meditation, including both passive and active practices. These structures serve as more than mere shelters; they create environments that express the processes associated with tea, from growing to brewing. This connection to tea highlights its cultural importance within the region and promotes a setting that encourages both contemplation and connection with nature.

Materials and Aesthetic Considerations

Materials used in this design are significant, with an emphasis on earth tones found in the woven walls and burgundy structural components. These colors relate closely to the natural landscape, creating a calming environment that is well-suited for meditation. The material choices not only enhance the visual appeal but also inspire a sense of spirituality and place, which is key to experiencing the countryside.

Interactive Elements and User Experience

Innovative features enhance the experience for visitors, such as wayfinding devices that help guide individuals to their meditation cabins. These devices are linked to specific tea plants, encouraging a deeper connection between the visitor and the environment. The cabins also have adjustable lighting systems, allowing users to set the mood according to their needs during meditation.

As visitors interact with the open spaces, vertical screens, and sky doors, they will notice the effect of light and nature intertwined with their meditative activities. Soft, natural light spilling into the cabins interacts beautifully with the warm indoor tones, creating an environment that feels both inviting and tranquil. Each cabin serves as a quiet retreat, reinforcing the harmony between the structure and the forest that surrounds it.

Noticed a mistake?
Highlight the text and click on
Noticed a mistake

Enter an open architecture
competition now

The Home of 
Shadows
The Home of Shadows
The light studies. Edition #4
The Architect’s 
Stair
The Architect’s Stair
Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3
The Architect's 
Chair
The Architect's Chair
Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5
MICROHOME 2026
MICROHOME 2026
100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #11
The Next House: USA
The Next House: USA
20,000 USD Prize
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026
100,000€ Prize / 2026

The Next House: USA — A Global Call to Reimagine the American Suburb

`
Competition organisers

Buildner is launching The Next House: USA, a global architecture competition that challenges architects, designers, and thinkers to reimagine the American suburban home for the 21st century. For decades, the suburban house has symbolized comfort and stability, but today it often reflects excess, isolation, and environmental strain. This competition asks: how can the American home evolve to address climate urgency, economic pressures, and shifting social values?

Participants are tasked with designing a prototype home of no more than 1,500 sq ft (≈140 m²) for a household of two adults and one child. The design should be compact yet generous, adaptable, sustainable, affordable, and replicable across diverse U.S. contexts. More than a design exercise, the competition aims to spark a conversation about how homes can support healthier, smarter, and more connected communities.

The total prize fund is $20,000 USD. The final registration deadline is May 20, 2026, and winners will be announced on September 22, 2026. The Next House: USA invites architects, students, and visionaries worldwide to redefine what the American home means today—and what it should mean tomorrow.

The Next House: USA

Design the next suburban home for the USA

20,000 USD Prize ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 18 February 2026

Open architecture competitions

  • Closest deadline first
  • Project competitions first
    Selected winning projects have the potential to be constructed
  • Ideas competitions
    Experimental competitions with the focus on pushing the boundaries of creativity
new
Rome 
Rain Rooms

Design a rain room for Rome

ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 14 January 2026
new
Pavilion Atlas 2026

Design a story of your country

ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 21 January 2026
Iceland 
Slow Sauna

Design slow sauna in Iceland

project COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 28 January 2026
The Next House: USA

Design the next suburban home for the USA

20,000 USD Prize ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 18 February 2026

Recurring architecture competitions

The Home of 
Shadows

Design a home with no artificial lighting

The light studies. Edition #4 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 14 January 2026
The Architect’s 
Stair

Take a step and make a statement!

Take a step and make a statement! Edition #3 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 15 January 2026
The Architect's 
Chair

Take a seat and make a statement!

Take a seat and make a statement! Edition #5 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Advance registration deadline 22 January 2026
Re:Form - 
New Life 
for Old Spaces

Choose a site—used, abandoned, or forgotten—anywhere in the world, and give it a new purpose

Edition #2 ideas COMPETITION
Prize Monetary award
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 4 February 2026
new
MICROHOME 2026

Design a new concept of small-scale home and share a prize fund of 100,000€

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #11 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 11 February 2026
new
Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2026

Celebrating your unbuilt architecture visions with a €100,000 prize

100,000€ Prize / 2026 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 €
Eligibility Open to all
Early bird registration deadline 26 February 2026

Media, partners and clients

To view this project in detail,
please log in with your
Architects’ Network Plus account.
Subscription instantly unlocks all the architecture projects plus other member-only benefits:
  • Access the 17,725 Concept Library
  • Professional tools including file transfer, email, portfolio management, and more
Register now
Already a member? Log in

This website uses cookies to improve user experience and gather usage statistics.

More information is available in our Privacy & Cookie policy