Project Concept / Create a balanced tension of opposites; old/new, lightness/weight, ascending/descending, crafted/rugged. Clearly separate public (first floor) and private (second floor). Create an iconic building that signifies "presence" and "place" for lower hamlet and the thousands of visitors that arrive and participate in retreats. Metaphorically the new structure perches on the old like a bird on a nest; resting, watching and caring for its offspring like the monastic community cares for its sangha. The union of opposite embodied by the building creates a tran-scendant levity for the spirit.
