The seventh object of the Living Architecture program of the philosopher Alain de Botton is the first one located in Wales, so its main name is in Welsh: Tŷ Bywyd, which translates as "House of Life". Like the previous six villas, this home is rented to all comers as a clear example of the fact that quality modern architecture is a pleasant and interesting environment: it is this educational plan that is at the heart of de Botton's program. However, Tŷ Bywyd, unlike other Living Architecture houses, can be rented for no less and no more than a week: others are rented for several days, most often for a weekend. The reason is in the purpose of the building: to help its guests to take a deep rest from the city, more broadly - everyday - vanity.
John Pawson and Alain de Botton worked on the project for five years; it reflects the important themes of the architect's work - Japanese design and architecture of Cistercian monasteries, and the motive of the monastery and hermitage has become the key for the house. It is not difficult to see in this the well-known hobby of Alain de Botton for the idea of "secular religion". Quite in this spirit, the house has a room for reflection: in this cave-like, recessed into the slope of the valley, where Tŷ Bywyd stands, you can lie down, free your mind from unnecessary thoughts and focus on the main issues of being - as the authors of the project intended. On the floor of this room, in the original French language and in English translation, is a quote from Blaise Pascal's Thoughts: “All human misfortunes come from a single thing. It is the inability to be alone [alone] in the room."
Being alone in "extraordinary peace" should provide guests with a home in Wales. In addition to the underground room, there is an outer meditation area where you can contemplate the mountains at the same time. Spacious common room, bedrooms and bathrooms should give guests (their maximum number is six) the opportunity to completely retire or - if desired - get together. All three bedrooms are themed. The walls of the library bedroom are lined with "the most salubrious literary works of the East and West." The music bedroom has an audio system and a collection of "transcendental and soothing music of all eras and genres," while the en-suite bedroom has a bathtub in which you can "reevaluate your existence with the views of the Welsh valley" from the window.
Immersing guests in natural surroundings was one of the goals of Pawson, who calls his structure a retreat, where, however, a person is never isolated from the landscape. He also uses the expression secular retreat: secular (that is, non-religious) asylum or hermitage. It has already been given as a name to another, not yet ready-made house of the program -
Peter Zumthor's villa in Devon. It can be assumed that the topic of "non-confessional" religion will arise there as well.
De Botton himself bluntly explains that he and Pawson tried to “re-invent the monastery for the modern secular era, based on the idea of hermitism,” the philosophy of early Buddhism and the ideas of Stoicism.
To go back to the specifics, Tŷ Bywyd has an area of 260 m2, built with over 80,000 Danish handmade bricks - light and dark; floors are made of polished concrete, ceilings, doors and furniture are made of Douglas fir. The pots, cutlery and service provided to the guests are made according to the sketches of John Pawson.
For lovers of relaxing walks, the best routes have been developed by the artist
Hamish Fulton, for whose creativity the walk motive is central.
