Maple Lin and Xinwei Chen (M.Arch '21) presented their project Nature Amplifier at the annual Sleeping Pods on a Cliff competition. This competition is the third collaboration between Bee Breeders and the Vale de Moses Yoga Retreat – a site located in the remote pine and eucalyptus forests of central Portugal, and a destination for hundreds of international guests each year. The competition included submissions from designers around the world.

Participants were tasked with proposing design solutions for simple sleeping pods that could accommodate a couple of guests at a time. Each sleeping pod was to include a basic sleeping zone as well as washing facilities. This competition is part of Bee Breeders’ small-scale design competition series, focused on explorations for sustainable, compact projects that relate intimately to the scale of the human body. This focus is based on the notion that even the smallest projects can contain big ideas for the practice of architecture. Several of the winning projects will be exhibited in future publications by ARCHHIVE Books, which questions What is Small-Scale Architecture?

For Nature Amplifier, Lin's and Chen's design proposed amplified nature experiences — moving breezes, sounds of leaves, shapes of running water — that immerse the inhabitant in nature. The project is listed under the BB Student Award and can be viewed here.