Responding to the design challenge of the international competition Yoga House in the Bog, {tag:studenci}, a graduate of the Silesian University of Technology's Faculty of Architecture designed distinctive wooden cabins that could be built in a Latvian forest. The replicable structures consist of three levels, with the last, placed at treetop height, intended as a yoga space.
The goal of the competition was to design a yoga house that would be built near a Latvian peat bog, surrounded by a forest, adjacent to the Baltic Sea. The organizers expected designs for a small building that would blend in with the surroundings. An important element was also a proposal to arrange the adjacent area into a park.
arrangement of cabins in the Latvian forest
© Martyna Kotulek
We wrote about the detailed guidelines, the composition of the jury and the results in an article about the Closer to nature project by r—m studio, which won the Second Prize , and the distinguished concept by Weronika Plata.
On the other hand, the competition shortlisted the kolkasrags project made by Martyna Kotulek.
The design allows for duplication of booths
© Martyna Kotulek
forest cabins like columns
I wanted the objects, through their austere form, to fit into the landscape of peat bogs and dense forests. In order to protect and enhance the surroundings in which the plot is located, I decided on a design of cabins with a minimal construction area. The design allows duplication of forest cabins, thus creating a distinctive and distinct complex in form. The structural columns of the buildings blend in with the trunks of the surrounding trees," explains the author.
The cabin was designed on a circular plan
© Martyna Kotulek
To level the interference with the terrain, the architect arranged the functions on three levels. The ground level was thus left free, and the cabin rises above the bog on four columns. The building was designed on a circular plan, with a minimal footprint—allowing it to be placed between dense trees.
The cabin is placed between trees on four steel columns
© Martyna Kotulek
eco-tourist design
The idea is that walking through the forest, one will come across self-sustaining cabins scattered throughout. Sustainable, eco-tourist design played an important role in the project. I proposed a minimalist design that meets the basic expectations of users. The spaces are minimalist, non-distracting, and support the experience of nature and the local landscape," describes Martyna Kotulek.
yoga cabin, ideogram
© Martyna Kotulek
The spaces designed by Martyna, thanks to a skylight in the roof, allow light and air to flow freely through the building. Her proposed solutions include a carbon-efficient wooden structure, the use of rainwater, and the use of nesting boxes and an insect hotel in the building's façade.
The timber-framed cabin rests on four steel columns, which the author believes increase strength and resistance to external factors. In addition, the structure allows reassembly and reuse.
The interior is made of wood in warm tones
© Martyna Kotulek
play of light
The author assumed the possibility of finishing the facade with recycled wood. The interior was designed using wood in a warm color, contrasting with a dark metal staircase running through the center.
Light was a very important factor for me in the design. I designed the interior of the cabins to be clean, almost empty, providing a stage for the play of light and shadows cast by the surrounding trees, the designer adds.
The two lower levels of the cabin relate to the body zone—the kitchen and the bedroom. On the third highest level, the author placed a yoga space, representing the spiritual zone. All elements of the rooms are inscribed between the structural elements of the building—for example, the storage sections are located between the structural columns.
The last level is the yoga space
© Martyna Kotulek
yoga in the treetops
On the top floor is the yoga space—a multifunctional room accessed by a winding staircase. The room is empty, giving users a space to commune with nature and watch the play of light. The space offers a panoramic view of the bog and forest surroundings. To increase the space and ensure privacy, the staircase can be further enclosed.
