Sacred Retreat
2023
University of Maryland
The Sacred Retreat is set in a sloping waterfront terrain in Shenandoah Valley, is designed as a meditative retreat space. Existing on the site was a 36 ft solid stone cube, where occupiable space was carved out and allocated across the site.
The concept of the form was to push and pull elements to foster connections to the surrounding envirornment. The extractions from the cube control how sacred spaces are interacted with through circulation, lighting and proximity to the environment.
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![Site plan of the Sacred Retreat.]()
01 site plan
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![Section perspective cut along the main meditative spaces.]()
02 section perspective
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![Section of the sacred retreat.]()
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carving sacred spaces.
The journey begins when visitors arrive along the path and are greeted by a grand staircase leading them to an overlook of the surrounding nature. Spiral stairs spanning three floors lead visitors through their meditative journey and also act as a lightwell throughout the massing. The top levels are dedicated to living and communal areas within the retreat. The bottom level, partialy engraved in the topography, is the main meditation space featuring two pools, one hot and one cool. The surrounding site is made up of communal and individual places of reflection and meditation.
Project Type
Biophilic design / Recreational / Landscape
Project Location
Shenandoah Valley, VA
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01 top floor plan / 02 mid floor plan / 03 bottom floor plan / 04 site parti diagram / 05 lighting diagram / 06 site parti diagram
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