Located in the Berkshires, the new dormitory building at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health is a study in wood, glass, and concrete. Cypress cladding runs the length of the façade, and matching strips are worked into manually operated window shades for each guest room.
Split by a central service core, the six-story building has two canted wings. On the east façade these volumes are carefully placed to minimize views of the existing brick buildings slightly to the north.
Staircases at either end of the building are enclosed by glass with concrete walls that contribute to the structure and thermal mass of the building.
Façade detail
Each guest room is a compact 9 feet 9 inches by 19 feet; those dimensions include space for an en-suite bathroom. Floors and ceilings are concrete (covered by resilient flooring and exposed, respectively) with embedded radiant heating and cooling. The movable cypress louver is still visible just outside the window.
Guest room
En-suite bathroom
Visitors spend most of their time in the yoga studio and meeting room on the ground floor, which has a sprung wood floor.
The spartan character carries through to public spaces such as the main lobby.
Cypress cladding and movable louvers.
