Yoga House on a Cliff is another Bee Breeders platform competition about the picturesque Vale de Moses area in Portugal. This time the goal was to design a yoga house located on a hillside with a view of the entire valley. Economical in expression, blending in with the surroundings, the project by the Polish studio kamecki.architektura made it to the final round.
Vale de Moses is a renowned yoga center located in the forested mountains of central Portugal. The former abandoned property, which was originally a farm, was purchased by a British family and restored. Over the past five years, the stone cottages and terraced forest gardens have been transformed into a place that welcomes 500 visitors from around the world each year. They visit Vale de Moses to practice yoga and meditate surrounded by nature.
The Yoga House on a Cliff competition is another one organized by the Bee Breeders platform together with the owners of Vale de Moses. This time, the task was to design a new building on a hillside overlooking the entire valley. Because of the natural surroundings and the meditative aspect, the future yoga house was to inspire guests and allow contact with nature. In addition to a central yoga room, the facility was to include: storage for mats and exercise equipment, showers and toilets, and a small kitchen. The building should generate its own energy, and all gray water was to be recycled.
minimalist yoga house
The jury composed of: Joana Astolfi (artist, architect and designer, who runs Studio Astolfi in Lisbon), Tiziano Borghini (partner at GMAA - GM Architectes Associés), Diogo Burnay (co-founder andpartner at CVDB arquitectos, chief curator of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale 2022), Tiago Krusse (K Innovative Diffuser), Nuno Pimenta (artist), Martinho Pita (artist), Cristina Verissimo (CVDB arquitectos, chief curator of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale 2022) evaluated the submitted works in terms of environmental care, cost-effective solutions, thoughtful architecture and user safety. Among the finalists was a proposal from Poland by the kamecki.architektura studio.
The architects created a simple form that allows tranquility and contact with nature
© kamecki.architecture
In addition to breathtaking views, the Valey de Moses is characterized by terraced ter rain with lots of trees and shrubs. It is an ideal place to practice the art of mind and body development, which is yoga. Our proposal complements the existing development, which is made up of buildings with different functions scattered around the valley. We focused on creating a sanctuary where one can completely surrender to health and spiritual meditation. An unobtrusive and simple block that will allow its users to feel a deep connection with nature and the elements that surround it," says architect Oskar Kamecki.
view of the valley
The narrow oblong plot, set between two natural terraces, itself imposed on the authors an elongated, rectangular building plan. Despite the small available space, they managed to fit a rich functional program of rooms, without losing their functional quality. The architects proposed a clear and maximally functional layout that leads the user through preparation, to exercise while allowing contact with nature.
A panoramic window in the exercise space opens the building to the west
© kamecki.architecture
A panoramic window in the exercise space(shala) opens the building to the west and the valley stretching below, framing an image that changes according to the seasons. Here the building is set back, creating an arcade with a small terrace, covered by an openwork canopy that diffuses the sun's rays and protects from the scorching sun. In addition to a traditional exercise room, practicing guests have a green roof, accessed by stairs already at the entrance to the building. It provides the opportunity, weather permitting, to hold classes outdoors as well as meditation in even closer contact with the environment.
The structure is wooden with point foundations
© kamecki.architecture
background for nature
The surrounding landscape, thanks to its diversity and attractiveness, provides many stimuli, so the architects wanted their proposal to be just a backdrop for nature. The building's structure was designed as a wooden structure with point foundations to keep earthworks to a minimum. Due to the terrain conditions, the authors decided to use lightweight and inexpensive materials - hence the abandonment of heavy natural façade stone, despite its undoubted aesthetic benefits.
With this line of thinking, we opted for two relatively inexpensive façade materials to reflect the surrounding nature - rocks and trees. In our interpretation, trees are wooden vertical, thin laths, and rocks are structural plaster, which when applied in the right way will give the impression of irregular rock material in places," explains Oskar Kamecki.
The project also did not lack room for well-known eco-solutions such as photovoltaic panels and a rainwater tank and gray water recovery.
Read also about the proposals for meditation cabins that took part in the Vale de Moses Meditation Cabins competition: the comorebi project awarded third prize, and the honorable mention INSIDE|OUT by FALA Architecture.
