Maloca at Tierramor shortlisted for the Dezeen Awards 2026
The Maloca at Tierramor, designed by Ibuku in collaboration with LOOP Design Studio, has been shortlisted for the Dezeen Awards 2026 in the Leisure and Wellness project category. Selected by the awards' international panel of judges, the pavilion stands among the year's most notable projects from entries submitted across 91 countries.
The news follows another moment of recognition. Dezeen's editors also included the Maloca in the Top 50: Americas list, part of the new Regional Showcases that celebrate the strongest work from each region of the world.
For our studio, it is a meaningful milestone. The Maloca is Ibuku's first project in Costa Rica, and we were proud to bring it to life as the local architect of record, alongside Tierramor and a team of collaborators who shared the same vision from the very first sketch.
Maloca — Tierramor, Costa Rica
A pavilion shaped by the land
On the hills of Rio Montaña between Nosara and Ostional, the Maloca was conceived as a natural extension of its surroundings. Its form is inspired by the Talamancan Cosmic House, indigenous gathering structures and from the landscape itself: the wave-like mountains on the horizon, the rolling hills of the site, and a protected tree that crowns the hilltop.
Rising 12 metres and covering 120 square metres, the pavilion was designed as a place for yoga, meditation and ceremony. Rather than standing apart from the land, it settles into it, framing the views and the trees around it as part of the experience inside.
Maloca — Tierramor, Costa Rica
Bamboo as a shared craft
The heart of the Maloca is the way it was built. Ibuku brought its expertise in bamboo architecture from Bali, and as the local architect of record, our role was to bring that vision to life in Costa Rica, on this site and with local hands.
The pavilion was built with locally sourced bamboo and natural materials, including earthen walls and floors and a wood-shingle roof. Just as important, the process became a space for learning. Local carpenters were trained in bamboo craftsmanship, and over the course of construction a material that once felt unfamiliar became a skill they now carry with confidence.
This is what makes the project meaningful to us. Bamboo architecture did not arrive in Nosara as a finished product. It arrived as a craft, shared between people, material and place.
One space, many rhythms
The Maloca was designed to hold many kinds of gatherings. Its open, adaptable plan welcomes an intimate circle of ten as easily as an ecstatic dance session with a hundred people.
Carefully placed openings bring the surrounding landscape inside and let natural light move through the space over the course of the day. From the soft light of a morning practice to the glow of an evening ceremony, the atmosphere inside shifts with the rhythms of the day outside.
Maloca, interior — Tierramor, Costa Rica
The team behind the Maloca
The Maloca is the result of many hands and a shared commitment to the project. We are grateful to everyone who made it possible:
Client: Tierramor
Design: Ibuku
Local architect of record: LOOP Design Studio
Team: SPHERA, Bamboo Master Studio, Nest, Atelier Ingeniería Estructural, Ingenieros JLC and DAAS Light.
Photography: Andres Garcia Lachner
Looking ahead to November
The winners of the Dezeen Awards 2026 will be announced on 16 November at the Royal Opera House in London. Whatever the outcome, being shortlisted alongside some of the world's most respected studios is an honour we share with every person who helped raise the Maloca.
