Schemata Architects' Linden House guesthouse in Dromgarriff Rainforest, Ireland

Dromgarriff Rainforest in Glengarriff is one of Ireland's last temperate rainforests, 39 hectares of protected woodland bought in 2022 by owners who set about conserving and rewilding it. Part of the money for that work comes from turning its five guesthouses into a wellness retreat, and Linden House, redesigned by the Japanese studio Schemata Architects, is the first to be reworked.

Two stone-and-slate buildings overlooking Bantry Bay were once joined by a simple passage. Founder Jo Nagasaka stretched that link southwards into a yoga studio, framed by the old stone walls on either side and covered by a timber and steel sawtooth roof. Its north faces let in soft daylight; its south faces carry solar panels. The two wings sit at an angle, and Nagasaka says leaning into that twist gave the space its character.

The ten en-suite bedrooms are split between the wings, some under timber-framed gables, and the largest has a double-height seating area behind a glazed gable facing the bay, matching the one in the main living room. Oak, the native tree of the surrounding forest, is used wherever possible, with plain white tiles in the bathrooms.

The studio's involvement is only beginning: longer-term plans include possibly rebuilding a hotel that once stood on the site. Worth noting for anyone drawn to a quiet yoga retreat on the Beara coast.

Our summary of a story from Dezeen, published 15 October 2026. Read the original