A{tag:studenci} from Wroclaw University of Technology decided to design a sustainable yoga house in Portugal as part of her engineering thesis. Her proposal is an example of environmentally and user-friendly green building embedded in a picturesque landscape.
The subject of Maja Klawitter's engineering work done under the supervision of Dr. Eng. arch. Anna Bać, Prof. PWr is a yoga house, which is an example of environmentally friendly construction. The author aimed to interfere as little as possible with the existing landscape, and the building itself, through its location without access to utilities, was designed to be self-sufficient.
The yoga house by Maia Klawitter is an example of self-sufficient construction
© Maja Klawitter
self-sufficient yoga house
The work was realized as part of the "Yoga House on a Cliff" competition organized by the Bee Breeders platform. The designed yoga house is located on the grounds of the Vale de Moses resort in the area of the town of Amieira in central Portugal's Castelo Branco district.
As the author says about the project:
I created the design of the yoga house as an example of sustainable building practice. An important element for me was to design a complex of buildings, with a stepped-terrace character that serves the functions of views and relaxation. The assumption resulting from the analysis was to fit the massing into the existing landscape, provide sustainable solutions for the construction and operation of the building, and use renewable energy sources.
The designed complex consists of four objects
© Maja Klawitter
The study area covers an area of more than 4,000 square meters on a mountainous terrain. The main design idea of the author was to create a complex of facilities on the scale of the existing yoga center, integrated into the existing greenery and surrounded by social spaces - terraces. The complex consists of the following houses: the main center, two dormitories with the function of a yoga studio designed for six people, and a building with the same purpose with a limit of two guests. Between the buildings, the student planned gardens for meditation and cultivation, as well as for spending time together. The largest and also tallest pavilion housing the yoga house towers over the establishment, at the same time blending into the landscape.
project work
The designed complex consists of four structures. The first yoga house is located at an altitude of 446 meters above sea level, while the last is located at an altitude of 437 meters above sea level. The complex of houses is surrounded by Zen-style gardens with a total area of 254 square meters, designed for yoga practice and meditation with an area of 643 square meters, as well as fields for cultivation with a total size of 77.44 square meters.
The main building has a stepped-terrace design
© Maja Klawitter
I began the design of the yoga house by laying out on a modular grid resulting from the distribution of yoga practice mats measuring 180×70 centimeters spaced 20 centimeters apart horizontally and 30 centimeters vertically. I adopted the zoning of the space of the large yoga house - I created an entrance area that is also a common area available in summer and winter time, an exercise room area, a sanitary area with a technical room and a storage area for exercise equipment," explains Maja Klawitter.
yoga for all
The main room for yoga practice has been designed for a group of up to 37 people practicing simultaneously inside. The facility includes basic facilities needed by users, such as toilets, showers and a kitchenette. The house is a public facility for everyone. The main users are those practicing and staying at Vale de Moses, those coming to classes and guests staying in the lodging houses. Accessibility for all disability groups is ensured.
The modular grid of the building results from the layout of the yoga practice madrasas
© Maja Klawitter
eco-solutions
Due to the idea of limiting vehicular traffic, there are no parking spaces on the premises. With wide windows placed in the north, east, south directions, the complex mainly uses solar energy. On the east side, it is possible to fully extend the windows and connect the hall with the surrounding landscape. Due to the different hours of the workshops, artificial light in the form of energy-efficient LED panels with the possibility of changing their intensity is also used. Additional light points in the rooms are lanterns.
yoga house is a public facility
© Maja Klawitter
The author envisioned rainwater harvesting from the terraces into tanks located under the buildings. The tanks are attached to the ceiling of the buildings, supported on a slope. The water is stored and reused in parts of the sanitary facilities and for irrigation of gardens and farmland around the building. Drinking water is supplied in reusable containers.
Also read about the Passing Trought project by students of the Warsaw University of Technology and a proposal by the kamecki.architektura studio, both of which made the finals of the Yoga House on a Cliff competition.
