The concept behind this project revolves around two central ideas. The first draws from an ancient human fascination with the life-giving force of the sun. The second is our relationship with nature, and the desire to be held by it while retaining a degree of protection from its elements.

For thousands of years, people have built structures that map the cyclical patterns of the sun. These spatial calendars helped track the seasons, crop cycles, and other temporal shifts. In many cases, such alignments also gave rise to spiritual practices connected to celestial events.

Archaeoastronomical structures are built with specific astronomical alignments in mind. They serve as observational instruments or calendar systems. These types of buildings, or in some cases more rudimentary constructs, can be found in over 38 countries, with some dating back four or five thousand years.

To date, New Zealand does not have such a structure. This project proposes to establish the meditation cabin as the country’s first archaeoastronomical building. It is intended as both a site of reflection and a sanctuary for the Earth’s energies, grounded in the spiritual and environmental significance of solar movement.

The geometry of the building is based on a Möbius strip, which is shaped and adapted to meet both functional constraints and conceptual goals. Its sectional design protects the interior from the intense northern sun while lifting slightly to allow airflow. To the south, the structure opens toward the landscape, framing long views down the slope. At the centre of the undulating roof, an oculus allows the sky and weather into the heart of the building. From this point, the surface gradually twists into an orientation aligned with the midday sun, allowing the path of sunlight to be read across the roof like a calendar.

Below this point, a shallow reflective pond anchors the space. It is used to cleanse the feet during flower rituals at the altar, or simply to amplify the sound of rainfall within the space during wet weather.

The cabin is constructed from modular, locally sourced timber, including redwood, beech, and rimu. The Möbius-inspired form, though visually complex, consists entirely of ruled surfaces, which can be built from straight planar sections. The outer surface of the curved wooden skin is made from local redwood, treated using the Japanese technique of Shou Sugi Ban. This charring process creates a protective outer layer that enhances resistance to moisture, sunlight, and insects.