Above the Bog

Location: Jaunupe, Latvia

In Collaboration with : Eva Jiang

SHORTLISTED for Buildner Yoga House in the Bog

June 2023

A getaway house that provides you a journey for spiritual connections both with the surrounding nature and with your own mind - join us in the beautiful Lativia forest. The yoga house floats above the bog, minimizing the environmental impact and allows you to breathe, sleep, meditate among nature.  The shifting volume of the house creates multiple courtyards, allowing every room to be merged into the surroundings, creating an unique experience in every room.  

The yoga/activity room located in the center has a big skylight to create a peaceful environment for yoga practices or simply meditate and find your peace under the beautiful sky. Windows in yoga room  provide views following human movement during yoga activities: low window for sitting positions and skylights for lying positions. The storage room next to it allows seamless transition from a yoga practice room into a public leisure space. 

On the two ends, bedrooms with queen size beds and their own bathroom with skylight welcome you to arrive at the courtyard decks to enjoy a sip of tea within the forest. 

The house itself is environmental - friendly: structures can be premade and assembled onsite to minimize construction impact. Sloped roof allows rainwater collection. The raised structure frame allows the least disturbance to the forest and also creates cross ventilation opportunities for hot summers. It also allows the model to be easily adapted for different environments with expanded footprint for more guests or less footprint for a single spiritual journey. 

Flow, above the bog.