Blue clay is a natural material traditionally used in healing treatments. Kurzeme, in the countryside of western Latvia, is home to this resource.
Designed around this natural resource, the Blue Clay Country Spa takes on the qualities of the clay it houses and sits close to the ground. The spa is designed to sit low in its surroundings and keep its impact on the site small.
The program of the building splits into two parts, a 'Wellness' section and a 'Residential' section. Its structure is kept minimal so the building can recede into the surrounding woodland through its geometry and materials. The building draws on the Latvian vernacular of timber roofs.
Geometry + Structure
The aim is a spatially complex building that is simple to fabricate. The building takes form by the repetition and rotation of linear wooden beams that array to form an undulating, ruled roof surface.
The structure is reinforced by steel trusses that are interlaced in the space between the wood beams. The trusses rotate at different angles and interlock with the wooden structure.
The rotation and curvature lift the roof in stages, in sync with the program underneath.
Inside, pods of rammed earth walls enclose the rooms that house the different parts of the program.
Introduction
At MEAN*, we value technology as a means to enhance our lives. For us, its best advances bring us back to nature.
‘Uncanny Valley’ proposes a getaway built from the materials of its own surroundings.
The challenge with architecture as a technology is the impact it has on its surroundings.
The question is how a building can give people good shelter while staying close to nature.
We propose a cultivated nature, pruned and shaped for contemporary needs.
Sustainability
Our response to the brief was to use the natural resources available within close proximity, minimizing the impact of transporting materials to the site, and to favor natural materials such as clay and wood where possible.
The design builds in timber, as Latvian builders have long done, using engineered lumber for strength, with timber to be sourced from the surrounding forests.
The roof would be clad in wood offcuts, recycling unused material and shaping the light within the spaces.
Taking the theme of ‘Eco Tourism’ further, the spa is designed to be self-sufficient, producing its own energy and water, and growing some of its food on site, which cuts transport.
For clean energy, the design specifies ‘Enessere Hercules’ wind generators, chosen for their sculptural form as well as their output.
The energy they generate would be stored on site. An embedded filtration system would draw water from the nearby lake, and a fruit and vegetable garden would supply produce through the growing season.