Inspired by a monastic way of life, Monastic Timber roots itself into the land and projects the systems of the Earth into everyday life. Here, alongside their monastic duties, the monks are loggers with a sawmill, harvesting timber to support themselves. Their daily schedule is structured around work, forest, and meditation. The architecture, made from the material they cultivate and package for others, connects to the acoustics of sleep, an aesthetic of rest, the geometry of their circadian rhythms, and wakes them to celebrate changes in the season. Using its position and themes of rhythm, cycles, and time, the tower is the gnomon of a sundial, its shadow activating different parts of the site throughout the day and tracking the seasons. On the interior, a carefully crafted opening guided shadow studies across seasons allows light to move through a center atrium to activate different spaces in accordance with the rigorous schedule of the monks. Monastic Timber aims to re-craft an intimate relationship between the body and the Earth’s natural systems and participate in an industry which fosters and supports the cultivation of forests, clean air, and biophilic design.
