Press Release
Metamorphosis Yoga Shala Building by Constantinos Yanniotis Wins the A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Constantinos Yanniotis honored for architecture, building and structure design by the international grand jury of the 2021 - 2022 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 22, 2022 /DesignNewswire/ Metamorphosis Yoga Shala Building by Constantinos Yanniotis, designed for Yanniotis & Assosiates | Architects & Consulting Engineers, has been granted the A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2021 - 2022 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The A' Design Award Explained
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
More About Metamorphosis Yoga Shala Building
This project is about a Yoga Shala proposal submitted in an International Architecture Competition Call. The site is part of a mountain Yoga Retreat Complex located in a breathtaking forest region of central Portugal. The new Yoga Shala building is inspired from the Yoga philosophy, being a spiritual practice rather than a physical exercise. The new development apart from the Shala with an atrium space, consists of the Teahouse cave volume. Both buildings are framed by the biomorphic xeriscaping garden islands, the curvilinear walking concrete stone paths and the cultivation activities levels.
About Constantinos Yanniotis
Constantinos Yanniotis graduated from the School of Architecture NTUA in 2011, following his studies of Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Patras (2003). Since then, he has been practicing as an Architect at the Yanniotis & Associates Architectural Bureau, having an expertise in Inclusive Design.
Award Record
Constantinos Yanniotis is a winner of 2 A' Design Awards, including this recognition. The awards were granted between the 2019 - 2020 and the 2021 - 2022 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award
The A' Architecture Design Award is an international architectural design competition recognizing good architectural designs by best architects worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to architectural design studios, building contractors, structural engineering firms and architecture and design consultants from all countries. Typical entries include skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions and religious structures. The awarded architectural projects are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/architecture
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/122361
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/122361
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!122361
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/261027
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://bit.ly/2PoG90I
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Metamorphosis Yoga Shala Building
- Function
- Yoga Shala Building
- Category
- Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture
- Colors
- Black, Saddle Brown, Light Gray, Light Slate Gray and Silver
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Yanniotis & Assosiates | Architects & Consulting Engineers
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Constantinos Yanniotis
- Country
- Greece
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2021 - 2022
- Design ID
- #122361
Credits
- Team
- Constantinos Yanniotis, Head Architect and Konstantinos Xanthopoulos, Architect
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The Building program, consists of the new Yoga Shala with an Atrium, the Xeriscape Garden islands, the Stone Teahouse carved in the sloped ground along with the Cultivation Levels. The Teahouse serves as a neutral background, while the organic shaped garden islands define the layout of the circulation paths and seating areas. The Atrium with the Olive Tree, add spatial quality, while the cultivation plantings provide cultivating activities that enhance the experience of the visitors.
- Inspiration
- The geometry of the new Yoga Shala has been inspired by the Butterfly Cocoon. The Metamorphosis of the clumsy and worldly caterpillar which transforms through an extraordinary biological process to a graceful Butterfly, is the core idea behind the building form and construction. Yoga practice is a personal journey towards enlightenment and the True Self. It means Connection, and this journey will only be authentic through the conceptualization and realization that everything is interconnected.
- Research
- The Geometry of the Yoga Shala is based on the Butterfly Cocoon Transformation. The form of the Yoga Shala building and its materiality is also connected to the construction of the Vernacular Indian Huts. It has been derived by the revolution in space of an Organic Form Curve along an axis that divides the form in two separate and clearly defined volumes, interconnected with each other to create the Cocoon shaped Shala. Each part of the curve is revolved an angle in order to create a closed shape. Two overhangs, one in each block, are created by an additional revolution around the same axis of rotation.
- Challenge
- The most demanding feature of the design, was the incorporation of a the bubble shaped, metallic buiding into the forest landscape. The demand for a dynamic and recognizable building form, that would serve as a landmark to the Yoga Retreat site, led to the creation of the organic and biomorphic Yoga Shala.
- Realization and Technology
- The form of the new Yoga Shala was produced by the geometric transformations of the model of the Butterfly Cocoon. The complex geometry of the cocoon gently surrounds and hosts the caterpillar throughout its metamorphosis to a brilliant butterfly. The geometric study of the cocoon and its necessary form simplification, was ultimately derived by an iterative process of revolved geometries of a typical cocoon cross section till the birth of the Butterfly.
- Operation and Interaction
- The floor plan is organized into the organic shaped volume of the building. There are two independent entrances, one leading to the Shala and the other one to the Xeriscape Atrium. The wide glazing openings allow for natural lighting thus enhancing the warmth and hospitality of the space. The storage of the yoga equipment is incorporated in the wooden structure of the building, under the perimetric seating bench and on shelves constructed between the primary structural beam contours. In the corner of the Yoga Shala, Aerial Yoga Swings may be hanged from the structural Beams supporting this activity with safety.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in October 2020 and ended in December 2020. It is located in a breathtaking region of central Portugal, in an old abandoned valley farm which has been transformed to a Yoga Retreat Center. This proposal represents the Bureau's participation in an International Architecture Competition Call, which requested the design of an additional Yoga Shala space to the existing complex.
- Specifications
- The structure of the building consists of primary and secondary structural wood contour beams grid. A horizontal perimetric bench-like shelf, reinforces the structure stiffness while serving as a seating bench. The skin of the building is comprised by layers of plywood sheets, thermal insulation and structured titanium panels. The Yoga Shala curved building skin incorporates photovoltaic panels. It has the adequate thermal insulation and a Pasiv Haus construction envelope in order to maximize energy efficiency. The openings allow for adequate natural lighting and aeration. The rainwater and greywater are purified and stored in a water tank.
- Keywords
- Hospitality, Sustainable Architecture, Recreational Architecture, Yoga Shala, Yoga Retreat
