There’s a palpable stillness; a gentle breeze wicks away the moisture percolating on your skin, carrying with it the quiet scents of damp soil and fallen pine needles. A releasing of tension coincides with a quenching breath. There’s no rush, no pressing matters tugging on your attention. Instead, a visceral connection to the earth. Slow moments of interacting with nature; tall grasses brush along your lower thighs as you stretch your legs amongst the fields of black currant and nettle leaves. The solidity under your feet is impressive, noticeable, almost commanding as you meander through the old growth forest. Peaking around the flaking birch trees, that mystify the horizon, pristine masses come into view. The glowing of campfires throw flickering light onto the textured walls that surround them. You approach a collection of out-buildings, stumbling upon multiple entrances to this village-like conglomeration. A tight corridor entices you with a dark amber glow and a soft mumbling of conversations. You draw closer. Your view opens up to a curated courtyard; a handful of occupied chairs surround a fire, steam rises out of the mugs being held near glowing faces. Drying herbs hang on the wood trusses that frame openings of the surrounding forest, where you have just leisurely spent the day. Your senses are brimming. Back to the calmness of the rustling branches. A light mist begins tapping on the broad leaves.
Interstitial Village
The Ozolini homestead is populated by several timber framed structures, thoughtfully oriented to the sun and surrounding forest. At the center rests the rubble stone barn, a relic of the homestead. A natural continuation of the existing structures lends to the placement and orientation of the proposed Tea Making retreat. The lodging, slightly askew, draws from the farmhouse; while the tea making studio and tea house respond to the stone barn. These live & work orientations expand on the vernacular to create a village of interstitial experiences as you meander between the structures.
Lauku Teja (Rural Tea) The drying of the harvest is an intrinsic component of the tea-making process. The hanging of the bundles invokes an organic quality to each structure. Demonstrating the function with-in, becoming a part of the building. Adding sensory textures & scents to the experience.
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Tea Making Tea Storage | 1 Workshop | 2 Covered Courtyard | 3
Program
Tea House Sunken Gathering | 4 Tea House | 5 Fire Pit | 6
Barn Restroom Foyer Living Dining Storage Kitchen
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Lodging 7 8 9 10 11 12
Porch | 13 Bedroom | 14
Sauna | Bath House Shower Outdoor Bath Sun Deck Sauna
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