status: Architectural competition; Honorable mention
location: Val De Moses, Portugal
team: Toufic Rifai, Thiago Jaconianni, and Philip Kolevsohn
links: https://beebreeders.com/vmmc-hon-6-interview

Strata [noun] - layers of material, naturally or artificially formed, often a number of parallel layers one upon another.

It is through the spirit of unity and acceptance of all people, from all walks of life, that the Strata mediation cabin is born. Conceived from a series of different spatial experiences, Strata makes use of a number of elements to form a sequence of equally exceptional moments.

Wandering through a system of natural landscape interventions, visitors are encouraged to engage physically with the Portuguese landscape which surrounds them. From an intimate pathway, curving gently amongst natural vegetation, the guests make their way to the entrance of one of four meditation cabins, named Strata. It is from this moment that the visitor transfers from the first layer into the second.

The guest passes through a series of narrow vertical louvres, aimed at shading the interior of the cabin from the harsh sun. This sense of compression is required, as the feeling of relief upon entering the more open and well-lit cabin space is amplified. This new empty and calming space is where the guests begin to investigate the rhythm of this transition.

The next sequence of this intricate yet simple layered system brings the guest to a small herb garden just within the cabins limits, which hugs a low meditation platform. The aromas from the herb garden provide an immediate sensory trigger as the body begins to calm in anticipation for the therapy session that awaits.

Surrounding the meditation platform is a light curtain which acts as a filter for privacy, while simultaneously transforming the space from a cubic volume into a cylindrical volume with the simple swish of the curtain. Spaces surrounded by curved surfaces are said to increase comfort for meditation and therapy, in this case achieved by the curtain. It is from this moment that the guest can relax and enjoy the therapy session on offer, while maintaining privacy from the outdoors.

Upon completing the therapy session, the curtain is drawn back and the massage bed (housing a small wash station and storage for cushions and therapy oils) folds into a compact form where it is then wheeled aside making space for private meditation on the open platform, as the light pours in from outside.

It is this moment which completes the unveiling of the final stratum, in a series of delicate yet spiritual strata.