We are thrilled to share the exciting news of the winners of the international architecture competition organized in collaboration with Samana Group – Off Grid Farm!

This innovative competition invited architecture students and young architects to envision and design a sustainable, self-sufficient farm in the heart of the Samana Peninsula in the Dominican Republic.The goal was to create a model for off-grid farming that integrates renewable energy, advanced water management systems, and sustainable agricultural practices—addressing some of the most pressing challenges of remote living and farming in this unique environment.

Participants were challenged to create designs that would not only sustain themselves with minimal environmental impact but also contribute to the resilience and economic development of local communities. By emphasizing the use of local materials and promoting environmental stewardship, this competition aimed to pioneer solutions that could shape a more sustainable and resilient future for the Samana Peninsula and similar remote locations worldwide.

Following an extensive and meticulous evaluation process, our esteemed jury panel, consisting of renowned architects and field experts have now finalized their decisions. Among the impressive submissions, three outstanding entries have been selected as the top winners. Additionally, two special prizes was awarded: to the project that received the most votes during voting on the Samana Group website, and also to the project that captured the heart of Samana group the most.

The winners were selected by jury panel composed by:

Ryohei Koike from BIG
Cosimo Scotucci from MVRDV
Ludwik Kaizerbrecht from Gensler
Oscar Torrejón from luis vidal + arquitectos
Magdalena Wojtal from Samana Group
Pedro Catrain, Senator of Samaná Province

WINNERS

1ST PLACE

Spiritual Cascades
Kurt Cheang, Rourke Brakeville, Zida Liu
United States

Spiritual Cascades

Situated in the breathtaking landscape of Samaná, Dominican Republic, Spiritual Cascades promises a getaway paradise that promotes mindfulness and introspection without compromising the convenience of the modern world.

The project begins by forming a suitable environment for the off-grid farm to situate on, which in turn provides stable living conditions for the dwellers. Through terraforming the landscape with terracing techniques, the site becomes suitable for cultivating crops and secures the landscape from future rainfall and landslide occurrences. To create natural harmony between the man-made terraces and the existing environment, the landscape and water meander through the site, connecting a series of freshwater reservoirs and retention ponds distributed throughout each household.

The paths of nature meandering through the terraces create varying communal connections between the off-grid farm owners on different levels of terraces and their workers. The guest houses opposite the main houses are available for both the owners’ guests and other traveling nomads, further enhancing the inner community of the site and promoting eco-tourism that can benefit the local community. A community center also sits atop the site, acting as the mediator between the off-grid farm community and the Samaná community, facilitating authentic and cultural interactions through activities such as farmers markets or the Dominican carnival.

Within the dwelling portion of the off-grid farm, spaces for both introspection/meditation and outlook are provided. Inhabitants can enhance their mindfulness through meditating in spaces like the Garden of Introspection to seek their inner peace or fantasize about their futures while looking out at the expansive ocean from the pool in the Garden of Curiosity. The intentional weaving of natural elements within the living spaces emphasizes the importance of humans re-engaging with nature, a crucial step for finding inner peace and stability.

Creating stability for both the inhabitants of Spiritual Cascades and the local community is equally important. The project achieves this by deploying vernacular construction materials and techniques while evolving traditional designs, enhancing the local economy without foreign interventions. The site also employs multiple self-sustaining strategies to become net-zero:

Crop cultivation on site is sufficient to feed all inhabitants, including the workers and guests of the main household.
Multiple reservoirs/retention ponds collect rainwater for freshwater supply, which is severely lacking in the nearby area. The reservoir system also serves as a backup pumped storage hydropower system for emergency purposes.
Dedicated solar panels for energy harvesting.
Preserving local ecosystems by minimizing site alterations and avoiding cutting existing trees, allowing them to continue sequestering carbon.
Terraforming terraces using existing soil from excavation, which minimizes wasted soil being transported away from the site and the need for foreign soil to build up terraces.

This ensures a balance between human habitation and the natural environment, fostering a sustainable and mindful community.

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About the First Prize – Ludwik Kaizerbrecht

“The Spiritual Cascades project features a distinctive roof design inspired by the tectonic geometry of the site’s natural topography.The landscape design harmoniously integrates with the roof, constructed from locally sourced materials, resulting in an iconic yet environmentally responsive design. The design of the buildings leverages the terrain’s elevation changes to create distinctive and unique spaces. The courtyard design effectively addresses noise and privacy concerns, but there is potential to improve the views to the outside. The high quality of the renderings succesfully showcases the design with a hospitality-focused approach.”

About the First Prize – Oscar Torrejón

“The project stands out for its focus on community spaces that foster interaction and cohesion among residents. Additionally, the protection and creation of green areas integrated into the design contribute to the sustainability of the natural environment. The use of terraces for land and waste management optimizes space utilization and minimizes environmental impact. Finally, effective rainwater collection ensures a sustainable supply and addresses water scarcity in the region.”

About the First Prize – Cosimo Scotucci

“The concistency between the architecure forms and the landscape makes the project specific and dynamic. The forms also allow for the use of locally sorced materials and verachular technics”

2ND PLACE

PCIH
Go Sungjun, Go Haejun, Lee Yunji, Lee JaeHyuk
South Korea

PCIH

[Before entering into the nature]

This project begins with humans entering the heart of nature. As humans are inevitably positioned to impact nature, they must consider how to develop it responsibly. In this project, nature is not just an object to be protected but also a resource to be utilized efficiently. To show this dramatically, people must selectively and compactly use the necessary parts, avoiding indiscriminate development at its boundaries. Therefore, a method of architectural planning using an intergrid is presented, where natural curves and human-made straight lines overlap in an offgrid space. On the target site, which was offgrid, a small new infrastructure grid that grows naturally is formed.

[Site condition & Sustainable energy source]

The target site consists of approximately half of the flat land and slopes with a view of the sea to the northwest. For sustainable farms, various renewable energy systems are adopted. Due to the high amount of insolation, solar energy panels are installed on the roof of the warehouse to serve as the main power source. As an alternative energy source for cloudy days, small wind turbines are installed to harness the high wind speeds of the mountainous areas. Given the consistently high precipitation, rainwater and household wastewater are recycled through a greywater treatment system. Clean water resources such as drinking water are supplied through groundwater pumping. Insulation is installed between the veneer walls to minimize heat loss.

[Material]

In an effort to give back to the community, the project aimed to utilize materials readily available around the target site as much as possible. The foundation and underground machinery room are constructed using compressed earth blocks, which can be made by mixing soil and cement on-site and are easily obtainable in Samaná. The primary wood materials used are pine and mahogany, both of which are widely exported from the Dominican Republic. Hard pine is used as a structural material, while aesthetically pleasing mahogany veneers are used for outer walls and interiors. Additionally, PVC sheets are used for roof waterproofing, ensuring both economy and convenience.

[Structure]

To provide an escape from daily life while immersing in nature, the building was situated in a forest rather than at the center of the cultivated land. This decision presented a challenging condition as construction had to be done on a steep slope. The challenge was addressed through the use of pilotis. As a result, the living room was protected from moisture rising from the ground, and the vehicle entrance and elevated views were secured at the same level. Additionally, external spaces such as swimming pools and barbecue areas were arranged vertically, giving each space a three-dimensional character.

[Escape from daily life]

The design aimed to provide an extraordinary experience while also offering users convenient circulation and spaces. It’s exciting to anticipate how wonderful it would be to spend workdays and daily life, and to relax in such a fantastic place.

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About the Second Prize – Ryohei Koike

“The master plan, architecture, and sustainability approaches are seamlessly integrated into the design, demonstrating a well-layered and effortless execution.”

About the Second Prize – Ludwik Kaizerbrecht

“The PCIH project creates highly iconic architecture with a clear design destination intention. The central spine connects all the proposed buildings, facilitating site orientation to maximize views .The proposed design language utilizes locally sourced materials to establish a rhythm of vertical elements, creating a contemporary – yet nature fitted façade . The exceptional quality of the renderings and graphics presents the design in a unique, hospitality-focused manner.”

About the Second Prize – Oscar Torrejón

“The project raises controversy with the use of wood for structure and cladding, as this material is not commonly used in the Dominican Republic from a cultural standpoint due to its poor maintenance. However, it is also the most sustainable material available on the island, helping to avoid erosion of its beaches and reefs.

The second controversial construction aspect is the use of earth blocks for the structure, as they are not earthquake-resistant in a country that experiences earthquakes and hurricanes. However, the effort to reduce the use of concrete is appreciated.

Given that the project stands out for its construction development, the use of PVC for the roof is not the most viable within sustainability, especially when there are so many clay tiles and other options available in the Dominican Republic, which also help reduce the building’s heat gain.”

3RD PLACE

A gift from nature
Yifei Xia, Yuting Zeng
China

A GIFT FROM NATURE

The natural world is an incredible wonder that inspires us all. We rely on nature for numerous goods and services we depend on for our health, happiness and prosperity. It underpins our very existence. Our forests, rivers, oceans and soils provide us with the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we irrigate our crops with. We also rely on them for numerous other goods and services we depend on for our health, happiness and prosperity.

Our existence is a blessing, a GIFT from nature.

The bundance of natural resources, such as water, wind, earth, and sunshine, is often overlooked and is frequently over-exploited, particularly by those who depend on these resources for their livelihood.

In designing an off-grid farm in an area of abundant natural resources, the objective was to present these gifts from nature in a manner that would be both respectful and beneficial to the local ecosystem. Consequently, the concept of ripened fruits on the vine began to take shape, and the distinctive form was designed to serve as a constant reminder of gratitude.

Upon entering the site from the visitor center, one can observe the main house and guest house in the distance, with energy stations situated along the winding, upward-sloping path. The buildings are connected by a series of zigzagging walkways that traverse the site, evoking the image of fruits on a vine. Visitors will accept this gift from nature. It is our hope that the experience of residing on the off-grid farm will foster a deeper appreciation and respect for our natural environment.

The design responds to the need for sustainable design in multiple ways:

In order to cause minimal environmental impact, the ground floor was elevated, allowing the buildings to integrate into the site as delicately as possible. The detached structure from the ground also provides space for air ventilation and the flow of water, which sufficiently improves indoor and outdoor thermal comfort. In terms of water utilization, domestic water needs are met through a catchment roof, simple filtration, and tanks. The landscape is self-sustaining, with filtered water tanks and canals for agricultural production and water recycling within the site. Roof-mounted solar panels harness the power of the sun and maximize solar energy production, thereby providing the farm with electricity. The building itself has been designed using local, sustainable materials, including cane leaves and glued timber beams of recycled wood.

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About the Third Prize – Cosimo Scotucci

“Form and function are well integrated to respond to the design challenge. Impressive dept in development of architectural concept.”

About the Third Prize – Ludwik Kaizerbrecht

“The planning of the Gift project achieves effective land use while ensuring personal privacy, open views, and noise comfort between villas. The architectural design is distinctive and unique , yet has visible relation with the local heritage of the Tiano house. The presented building typology offers a decent variety of layouts within a cohesive design language. Overall presented design results with an attractive modern look crafted with consideration for local heritage and respect for the natural environment. The exceptional quality of the renderings and graphics helps to present the design in a distinctive – hospitality oriented way.”

About the Third Prize – Ryohei Koike

“The master plan, architecture, and sustainability approaches are seamlessly