Photographs © Gilbert McCarragher Drawings © John Pawson
Dedicated to the promotion and enjoyment of world-class modern architecture , Living Architecture commissions renowned architects to design houses that are made available to rent by the public for holidays and weekends . Tˆy Bywyd is its seventh property , and first in Wales .
The design of the house , which sleeps six people , is based upon the concept of a retreat where serenity , contemplation and restoration are foremost ; a place where a week-long retreat will immerse the visitor in a zone of extreme calm and leaving them revived and re-invigorated to resume their responsibilities in the world .
Architect John Pawson , who designed Tˆy Bywyd , said : “ It has been a pleasure to work with the Living Architecture team on a totally new type of project for me . In this house I wanted to create a modern , secular retreat , where guests can experience the benefits of introspection , solitude and immersion in nature .
“ The location is wonderfully remote and I wanted to create a sanctuary where people feel at home , but never insulated from the elemental character of the surrounding landscape .”
The building where the retreat unfolds is both simple yet luxurious . It is the result of five years of work by the architect and writer John Pawson , working in conjunction
“ Chiefly , the risk is that we will forget to make time for ourselves , and omit to understand our own minds ”
with the philosopher Alain de Botton , and has been deeply influenced by Japanese design and the architecture of the Benedictine monks .
Creative Director of Living Architecture Alain De Botton said : “ With Life House ( Tˆy Bywyd ),
we were looking to reinvent the monastery for a secular modern age ; based upon the concept of a retreat ; to take us back to the earliest days of Buddhism in the East , and of Stoic philosophy in the West . In both cases , the busy city was held to provide certain opportunities while at the same time , cutting us off from others . Chiefly , the risk is that we will forget to make time for ourselves , and omit to understand our own minds – and our need for calm and perspective .”
Rental prices for Tˆy Bywyd will start from £ 3200 per week .
Booking enquiries can be made at www . living-architecture . co . uk
26 EXPLORER WALES // STAY