The world is stripped away; the space within these walls is a haven formed to foster an experience of true connection with oneself. A physical manifestation of serenity and balance is created through the repetition of natural, tactile materials, soft tonal transitions and minimal yet impactful moments of artistic design. An intentional disruption in mirrored surfaces offers gentle reminders to take pause and look inwards and to place focus solely on yourself without comparison to others, highlighting the studios true intention of supporting body image; we are more beautiful for our many facets. As a 30-guest capacity infrared yoga studio, durability and longevity of materiality were highly considered for both moisture and high-traffic use. Hardwearing, sustainable cork flooring, soft underfoot and rich in organic patterning work alongside the roughly textured plaster provide a sense of embrace for all guests. Budget and square footage constraints propelled the team to get granular regarding the programming and discerning offerings of the studio, distilling the design selections down to the purest form of the concept - the yoga itself. Tasked with forming a pensive dreamscape focused on wellness and avoidant of the clutter of daily operations, the 225 sq.m space demanded highly considered storage and purpose layered into every moment of the built environment. Entering from the glass-walled streets of downtown, Jaybird’s design transports the body and guides the mind, embracing what can’t be seen. The space, foregrounded with a vacuous entryway–evokes a primordial, warm cave. Moving deeper into the studio, white oak benches line the perimeter of the room, leading to the change room door, and then the studio door, setting a path of use that feels natural and allows guests the time to strip away all that doesn’t serve them. Arriving finally in a minimally candlelit place of practice, the final loss of visual stimulus abolishes the self-conscious mindset; now immersed in a blackened, spaceless area of practice, a reflective altar adorned with adroitly melted candles gently calls focus solely to the instructors verbal guidance. Movement, too, is considered. Integrating the principle of “flow” in yoga practice, the layout is intuitive and responsive–proposing a choreographed path of use. To achieve a symbiosis of the room and the body, we looked to art such as Constantin Brâncuși’s animate sculptures, and the choreography of modern dancers Lucinda Childs and Yvonne Rainer, to inform the navigation. The curious artwork of UK-based artist Adam Hale depicts deconstructed figures playfully layered with opposing objects, encouraging guests to approach their practice with a similar internal dismantling. These works are applied directly to the wall so the coarse plaster texture shows though, and a lens effect is created with geometric glass “frames” to highlight each piece. An extruded portion of the wall becomes a sculptural vase, and is filled with vibrant florals to bring softness to the central reception - a place which nurtures gathering and natural connection.