Taos, NM | Unbuilt Concept

In the stillness of the place where desert meets mountains, where the land hums with the ancient pulse of time, a minimalist wellness spa & retreat offers a refuge amongst unspoiled landscape. Founded on the quiet principles of forest bathing and meditation, our vision calls for a retreat into nature to a place of silence which fosters introspection and connection to the natural world. The design approach is deeply sensory and poetic—spaces where time slows and nature speaks—where people can experience the depth of the natural environment in a way that feels timeless and profound.

The structures—small, humble, and sculpted from adobe and stucco—are carefully placed within a forested arroyo, allowing the land to shape the architecture as much as the architecture shapes the experience of the land. The materials are chosen with deep respect for the environment: adobe walls, grounded and textured, anchor the space to the earth, while the smooth stucco surfaces create moments of quiet reflection, catching the changing light and the stillness of the air. Each building is a retreat, a sanctuary, a place where one can connect to the elemental forces of the earth, the air, and the light.

The design is rooted in the principles of simplicity and silence, where each space is shaped by a deep understanding of the human need for contemplation and presence. There is no extraneous gesture; each detail, each form, is an expression of restraint and clarity. Paths through the site are meandering, guiding visitors not to destinations but to moments of solitude, connection, and being. In this pristine setting, the architecture does not strive to dominate, but instead recedes, allowing the experience of the landscape to unfold. The structures, far from being isolated objects, are an integral part of the environment—woven into the fabric of the land, offering a space for stillness, for introspection, and for renewal.