Retreat architecture / Tag

TerraSense Mountain Charm Retreat stands within the rugged Serra da Estrela landscape in Guarda, Portugal, reworking two pre-existing houses into a rural refuge by DRK Architects. The retreat aligns strict environmental protections with a clear architectural gesture, using schist and exposed concrete to connect a hotel setting with the surrounding mountains. Guests move through rooms that retain echoes of former homes while opening toward long views and a slower rhythm of stay.

Kirigami unfolds as a finely tuned winter retreat in Eden, United States, shaped by Sparano + Mooney Architecture around the precision of folded steel and timber craft. The project translates the Japanese art of kirigami into an alpine setting, using cuts, folds, and voids to organize a ski-in/ski-out home for multi-generational living. Inside, a clean, modern character frames art, views, and ritual, from onsen bathing to quiet evenings off the slopes.