The mirage house

Project idea

Mirage House

The house is located among wandering dunes.

Wandering dunes are sandy dunes that move from the Baltic Sea toward the Curonian Lagoon. They can engulf villages and penetrate homes through windows and doors.

As the dunes recede, the appearance of the house changes — from solid and clear to gradually dissolving into the space.

The drifting fog, often found in this area, enhances the house’s response to the terrain, making it begin to dissolve into the landscape like a mirage.

The houses are designed on the sites of villages buried under sand, allowing people to return to their homeland.

Project description

The “Mirage House” project explores the interaction between architecture and a dynamic natural landscape. It focuses on how the building responds to changes in its surroundings — shifting sand dunes, fog, light, and terrain. Architecture here is not seen as a fixed object, but as a temporary state — gradually losing its contours, seemingly dissolving into the air.

The composition of the house is based on sharp, minimalistic forms that stand in stark contrast to the flowing, formless nature of the dunes. This geometric clarity emphasizes the building’s presence against the ever-changing environment. When the sand level is still low, the house appears to dissolve from below — its base becomes visually uncertain, creating the illusion of a mirage floating above the ground. As the sand advances, the opposite effect takes place: the mirage fades, the lower part becomes buried, and only the distinct upper form remains — a clear architectural statement emerging from the dunes. In this way, the house transitions from an ephemeral image to a grounded and enduring imprint in the landscape.

Technical information

The construction of the building is made of lightweight wooden frames and semi-transparent materials that interact with light and fog. The foundation is designed to allow minimal disruption of the sand layer, using screw piles or shallow bases.