Medeu Sports Center | Audrey Matlock

The site is a small plateau surrounded by the dramatic Tian Shan mountain peaks.The landscape is home to freely roaming wildlife and recalls pastoral nomads of Kazakh tradition. To mitigate the building’s presence in this idyllic landscape, it is depressed into the earth. Only the roof remains above grade where it adopts an irregular profile and dynamic relationship with the surrounding mountains. Between the individual roof modules, clerestory windows flood the interiors with natural light and mountain views. The project employs sustainable strategies such as rainwater harvesting, geothermal heating and cooling, and passive ventilation.