The Winners!
DESIGNER'S DEN 2024
First Prize Winners
Yaxin Sun, Zijie Wei & Chenglu Xue
USA
The team consists of three members: Zijie Wei, Yaxin Sun, and Chenglu Xue. Since 2022, they have been working in Los Angeles, US, dedicated to pursuing creative design and innovative ideas, with the aim of making a meaningful contribution to architectural design.
Introduction
We are three architectural designers from Los Angeles, each working on diverse projects like residential, educational, and commercial designs. We are passionate about architectural form and aesthetics and use creative design to explore social issues.
As professional designers, we know that communication and presentation are as important as producing results. They help reduce errors and spark new ideas. The pandemic has also shown us that the way designers work has changed, and architectural spaces need to adapt to offer more flexibility.
Design Concept
Our design features a spiral shape with continuously changing height, creating dynamic and inspiring spaces. By incorporating multifunctional areas that serve as both workspaces and exhibition rooms, We also incorporated a downward hole, creating spaces with varying levels of solitude to accommodate diverse needs.
This spiral form blends functionality and aesthetics by providing versatile spaces that adapt to different needs, while the cloud-like roof and clean concrete walls enhance the studio's visual appeal and practicality.
Studio Architecture Significance
Our design balances functionality and aesthetics through a spiral form with varying heights and a cloud-like roof. Creating openings in highly dynamic environments generates spaces where the experience of solitude changes progressively, evolving from a chair to a table, and from a chair to a wall.
Key elements include downward holes to the Spiral Shape create distinct solitude levels. Materials like glass curtain walls maximize natural light, while the cloud-like roof and thin columns enhance the aesthetic appeal and functional efficiency of the studio space.
Sustainability Integration
The façade features a louver design for passive shading, effectively regulating sunlight and temperature. The sloped roof channels rainwater into a surrounding rainwater harvesting landscape. Skylights and glass curtain walls maximize natural light illumination throughout the building.
Sustainable design should be integrated from the beginning, its not like adding some devices when the design is done. For example, our roof are separate like leafs overlaping which helps collecting rainwater and also it allows natural light coming down to the interior space. It’s the starting point that fundamentally shapes the building’s form.
Design Evolution
Initial Ideation: We started by exploring how to incorporate various levels of solitude into a studio, aiming to create a flexible and inspiring environment. Concept Development: We designed a spiral form with changing heights and a downward hole to provide different levels of privacy, evolving from open spaces to secluded areas. Final Concept: We adjusted the design to include multifunctional areas that work as both workspaces and exhibition rooms, balancing public and private spaces.
Design Techniques is choosing the spiral shape and progressive solitude spaces created varying levels of privacy and interaction. Key materials include clean concrete walls, passive shading louvers, and glass curtain walls, which balance functionality and aesthetics. Rainwater harvesting and passive shading systems were vital for enhancing the studio’s environmental efficiency.
Community and Environmental Impact
First of all, this is a very novel form. Secondly, in terms of function, unlike the traditional office module combination, our design integrates the space, allowing each space to have a mix of functions and generate a variety of activities. For individuals, it can provide privacy when you need a private space, and it can also allow you to quickly transition to public activities to communicate with others when you need to express yourself. For the community, it can not only achieve the results of efficient personal office work, but also have an office environment for mutual communication, making the community more harmonious.
Take a specific space as an example. In our design, chairs, tables, exhibition walls and partition walls are formed as the height of the wall changes. The change of the whole space is smooth. When people are working, they will not feel that they are in a specific square space of the so-called office, but in a free-form space, which makes people more relaxed and focused.
Guidance for Aspiring Designers
First, you need to clarify your creative concept. In this process, you need to study the types of existing studio spaces, and then find the advantages and disadvantages of different types of spaces, and analyze their reasons. From this, you can design novel forms to deepen these advantages and solve the disadvantages, so that you can create a space that is not only novel in form but also reasonable in function.
Secondly, you need to express your concept with clear drawings, understand the core elements you want to express in each picture, and explain them clearly.
Reflections on Winning
Winning the competition makes us very happy. We see it not only as recognition but also as encouragement. We believe this motivation will drive us to create even better designs in the future.
Incorporating movement into architectural design is essential because buildings are spaces that accommodate users' activities. Considering how spaces will be used can make the design more dynamic.
Second Prize Winners
Austin Brown
U.S.A.
Austin Brown is based in the Pacific Northwest, in Portland, OR, USA. Originally from Utah, he studied civil engineering and worked for several years as a structural and architectural designer. Driven by a passion for architecture, Austin pursued a Master’s degree in ecological building at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC).
Introduction
Located in the Pacific Northwest in Portland, OR, USA. I was raised in Utah where I studied civil engineering. After a few years working as a structural and architectural designer I decided to follow my passion in architecture and do a Master’s program at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) in ecological building. Following the completion of the Master’s I wanted an opportunity to apply the concepts I learned, which led me to participate in the Designers Den competition.
Design Concept
Studio Wapato is a creative co-working, co-living environment in a beautiful rural setting. The studio includes a common area with a kitchen, seating options for brainstorming, eating, casual meetings, leisure, etc., a room for presentations and meetings, a workspace with open tables and plentiful natural light, a carpentry shop for prototyping and building, and a boulder hall for recreation. Additionally, a sauna, wood fired hot tub, and cold plunge are provided for user relaxation. Due to the distance from a major urban centre, about 30 minutes by car, the studio is imagined as a co-work, co-live environment and incorporates small dwellings for designers to live in, in order to limit commuting. The studio accommodates around 10 people to work and live together in community.
Apart from the programmatic requirements of a traditional studio and the addition of a recreation space given in the brief, an interesting part of the design is the integration of a carpentry / prototyping space. This provides designers room for experimentation and an opportunity to gain hands-on experience that will better inform designs.
Studio Architecture Significance
A specific spatial consideration within the design included creating some separation between the boulder hall and the more work-related spaces such as the carpentry and upper floor workspace. In between these spaces there are versatile areas that may be used for ‘work’ as well as leisure. The layout can be viewed as a gradient going on one end from the more ‘productive’ spaces to the other end prioritizing recreation and leisure.
Sustainability Integration
The studio sustainability approach is embedded in material choice, focusing on using natural materials such as wood, cork, limecrete, and limiting detrimental material usage such as concrete. The studio uses metal screw piles in lieu of concrete foundations in order to reduce the impact on the land, as the piles may easily be removed when the studio is disassembled.
Due to the lack of solar gain in the winter, a key aspect to efficient internal temperature retention is a compact, well-insulated space. This is expressed in the smaller volumes that are separated from the larger sloping roof that provides the protection from the elements. Limiting internal volume size reduces costs and resource strain to heat and cool the respective spaces.
The timber cladding for the studio utilizes wood offcuts that would normally be waste products, as well as live edge planks, which reduces offcut waste by utilizing the wood plank as the final product earlier in the production process.
Design Evolution
I approached the design by imagining what I personally would want in a studio if I were to project myself in the future 5-10 years. This included things that I am currently interested in, even if I may not be an expert at the moment. Placing the studio in a rural setting was an important decision in the design process, as it brought about the model of co-work / co-live, which I believe has much potential especially when considering growing food and what it means to live ecologically.
Community and Environmental Impact
By having the studio in a peaceful, rural environment it gives a slower pace to the studio, providing users more time to reflect and more closely aligning with the rhythms of nature. Additionally, having versatile and ample outdoor and indoor space gives the opportunity for many community events to be held. The way the studio opens up in the back, and is framed on each side by the carpentry and boulder hall, creates an outdoor courtyard that is perfect for these types of events.
Guidance for Aspiring Designers
When thinking about studio design, I would say that letting your interests drive your process is key, and not being afraid of including aspects in your design that you may have not seen before in a studio. Key factors that are a part of a studio design for me, would be spaces that inspire, that are connected to nature, and that use materials that are an extension of the natural world, and that are finished in a way that maintains the raw spirit of the material as much as possible.
Reflections on Winning
It is a great honour to be recognized in this way for my work. It is certainly validating and makes me excited to take on future design projects.
I think the more radical ideas in the realm of studio architecture, the better, and creating more spaces that blend various trades and incubate collaboration across fields is crucial in developing a higher degree of diversity within studio architecture spaces.
Third Prize Winners
Shiyao Li, Yufeng Tu
China
The group is composed of young architectural designers practicing in the United States, who met at Solomon Cordwell Buenz, a firm known for its high-rise residential design expertise.
Shiyao, a Washington University in St. Louis graduate, has received several prestigious awards, including the 2023 Most Enhanced Award and the 2022 Gold Nugget Award. His work in Switzerland was recognized by national environmental authorities.
Yufeng, with an M.Arch from UC Berkeley, has experience with top firms like MAD and UNStudio. His practice spans continents, focusing on architectural renderings, construction documentation, and collaboration with engineers and contractors.
Introduction
We are young architectural designers currently practicing in the United States. We get to know each other due to from working at Solomon Cordwell Buenz, a highly reputable architectural firm known for its expertise in high-rise residential building design.
Shiyao graduated from Washington University in St. Louis and began his architectural practice during his student years. His career has been marked by significant achievements, including receiving the 2023 Most Enhanced Award from the Landmarks Association of St. Louis, the 2022 Gold Nugget Award – Award of Merit from the Pacific Coast Builders Conference, and being a finalist for the 2022 Architizer A+ Awards, among others. His project in Switzerland, a temporary wooden tower for a cultural event, was recognized by the Swiss Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy, and Communications (UVEK) and the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), highlighting its impact and the resonance of his work.
Yufeng earned his M.Arch degree from UC Berkeley and has worked with internationally renowned architectural firms such as MAD and UNStudio. His practice spans multiple continents and diverse cultural contexts. His work includes, but is not limited to, creating digital architectural renderings (both building enclosures and interior public spaces), preparing construction documentation, coordinating with various engineering consultants to meet client expectations, and working closely with contractors to realize approved designs.
Our day-to-day job involves working on high-rise residential buildings across the United States, which has fueled our passion for designing living spaces. When we noticed this competition, we found that the topic closely aligned with our work experience but on a more elegant scale. This overlap inspired us to give it a try.
Design Concept
Our design for the unconventional residence near Santa Monica, Los Angeles, reimagines domestic living within a vibrant and dynamic environment. We capitalize on the site's constant influx of tourists and Airbnb guests, as this flow of transient individuals introduces fresh perspectives on living spaces. Our design is specifically tailored for recent art graduates, emphasizing nuanced gradients of privacy and adaptability. We foster a harmonious blend of openness and intimacy, communal living and individual spaces, and interaction between residents and visitors. By creating a residence that balances these elements, we aim to cultivate a vibrant artistic community that actively contributes to local cultural enrichment, transforming the living spaces into a catalyst for fostering and nurturing the local artistic landscape.
Traditional artistic studios in the area typically offer fixed, private living and working spaces that lack shared areas and interaction. Our design concept redefines this approach by introducing flexible privacy levels and adaptable spaces. Instead of rigid tiers, we utilize negative spaces formed by the living units to create a continuum from the most private areas at the top to the most public spaces at the bottom. The residence features six distinct living studios designed to balance seclusion and openness. These studios are interconnected by shared spaces that act as collaborative hubs, promoting synergy among the artists and fostering connections with the broader community. This creates a dynamic living environment where young artists and visitors can coexist harmoniously.
Studio Architecture Significance
Our design minimizes the functionality of each living studio, keeping only the most private functions like sleeping and writing within them. We programmed all relevant shared spaces outside of the private living units. By doing so, we can organize the spatial relationship holistically, allowing us to manipulate the balance between functionality and aesthetics effectively.
Shared spaces played a crucial role in our design. These spaces are shaped by the negative space formed by the living units, allowing the common areas to connect each living unit. This approach fosters interaction and collaboration among residents while maintaining a cohesive and functional design.
Sustainability Integration
The sustainability strategy for this co-living and co-working space focuses on economic efficiency, energy conservation, and human well-being. Our approach integrates innovative construction techniques, sustainable materials, and energy-efficient systems to minimize the building's environmental footprint. Health and comfort are central to our design, with elements that enhance natural lighting and ventilation, ensuring a healthy and comfortable living environment for residents. By fostering a vibrant artistic community and ensuring the well-being of its residents, this building aims to create a harmonious environment that supports creative endeavors while promoting sustainability. These principles are integrated into both the design and operation of the building, enhancing the quality of life for its inhabitants and the surrounding community. Our focus on sustainability is designed to not only reduce the environmental footprint of the building but also to ensure that it serves as a supportive space for artistic growth and development.
Design Evolution
From the very beginning, our team was clear that our project was about the formation of shared spaces and their relationship with independent living units. Our design evolved into using the negative space formed by living units as a connection to different parts of our building.
We enjoy testing our designs through physical models, and 3D-printing techniques allowed us to produce a large number of study models during our design phase. This was extremely helpful in understanding the spatial relationship between different components in our design.
Community and Environmental Impact
This is another noteworthy aspect of our design. Our project is partially open to the public and invites people to step inside the community. We believe this interaction is beneficial for young artists’ professional growth and enhances the neighborhood’s tourist vibe.
At the bottom of our house, you might notice we incorporated open pockets that connect directly to pedestrian pathways. These spaces are intended for use as retail and exhibition areas where tenants can showcase their work.
Guidance for Aspiring Designers
Engage in as much practical experience as possible. Throughout our architectural journey, we've observed that architectural trends continuously evolve with different voices, built works, and technologies. For instance, the rise of AI technology has sparked significant interest in its applications within the architectural field. However, for those just starting their architectural journey, it's easy to lose sight of their own voice and make choices that may not suit them if they blindly follow trends. Therefore, when uncertain about your future path in architecture, it's crucial to gain practical experience. Whenever you encounter something that piques your interest, commit to exploring it further and spend more time on it. Through this process, you may discover the specific aspects of architectural practice that truly captivate you.
Getting to know the people who actually live in studio architecture and hearing their stories to understand their living experiences and expectation is crucial.
Reflections on Winning
It is our hornor that our work be seen and recognized, especially in such a big platform. This award also gives us a greater platform to share our vision and ideas with a broader audience, hopefully inspiring others in the architectural community. We see it as an opportunity to contribute to the ongoing conversation about the role of architecture in shaping communities and environments. It also underscores the importance of innovative design in addressing modern living challenges and the potential for architecture to enhance human experiences.
"A home is a shelter of someone’s dream.” I forget where I read this, but it provided me with a different perspective while designing human living spaces. Always be respectful and responsible when designing a house. Understand who you are designing for and what they value.
Special mention
Honorable mention
Mary Bernadette Ramirez
Anna Kulykova
So Jung Lee & Eun Taek Shin
Mary Bernadette Ramirez
Philippines
Mary Bernadette Ramirez is an aspiring architect, born and raised in the Philippines with a passion for design and innovation. She is currently taking up her bachelor’s degree in architecture at Technische Universität Wien, Austria. One of the things she loves as an architecture student is being able to test out new ideas and exchange different thoughts and feedback between peers and mentors, which she believes is the key towards growth and one of the key aspects of architecture. Being a scholar for most of her academic career, she believes in the principle of giving back which is what led her towards her advocacy to help the Filipino masses and provide creative and innovative solutions that can alleviate existing problems in the community. Through architecture, she wishes to communicate her ideas and be a part of the community that shapes the world.
Anna Kulykova
Ukraine
Anna Kulykova, a recent graduate of Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts with a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture and Urban Planning. Was born on June 3, 2002 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Participation in the competition gave Anna an opportunity to unfold her architect’s vision and to delve deeper into the ideas of sustainable design. Anna is passionate about vernacular architecture and as an architect strives to create contemporary designs that reflect cultural heritage and fit harmoniously into the surrounding environment.
So Jung Lee & Eun Taek Shin
South Korea
So Jung Lee and Eun Taek Shin are students studying architecture at Dongguk University in Seoul, South Korea. They are always open to new architectural endeavors. In the turbulent times of the 21st century, they consistently focus on addressing social and environmental issues through architectural insights.
