Namchak Retreat Ranch is a rural, 8,900-acre ranch dedicated to Tibetan Buddhist practices, located on the land of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Western Montana. The Bodhi House, a 36-key dormitory for Namchak’s Summer Immersion Program, accommodates entry-level students of meditation and their teachers during month-long retreats.

Feng shui principles informed the orientation and organization of the building. Two wings of single-occupancy bedrooms flank a central dining and multipurpose area served by a commercial kitchen. A circular stair leads up to the heart of the building: a large hall on the second floor for meditation and Buddhist ceremony, daylit from above by a cupola high in the vaulted ceiling and decorated in traditional Tibetan hues and ornament. The Meditation Hall is acoustically isolated from the rest of the building to foster a contemplative interior environment conducive to teaching and meditation.

Oriented for optimal solar exposure and cut into the natural slope for northern earth-sheltering, Bodhi House follows passive design strategies to stabilize indoor temperatures and reduce reliance on mechanical heating. The building features a high-performance envelope in line with Passive House principles, utilizing