Grow Together Fungsi Utama: Bola Mikro by Yanci Chen

Grow Together Fungsi Utama: Bola Mikro by Yanci Chen is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Bessi in Desain Sosial Competition Category.

BessiSosial· 2025

Grow Together Fungsi Utama: Bola Mikro

by Yanci Chen

Client: Ycj Studio

A' Design Award Bessi Winner in Sosial Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #170170

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Grow Together Fungsi Utama: Bola Mikro

Naskah Buku: Grow Together iyanaritu proje’ bola mikro modular iya mangoloi masalah tau mangobbo (homelessness) ri Seattle. Rancangang iyaé mattaroi bola-bola ébbu maloang iya dé’ nasitujuang ri jaringang listrik umung (off-grid) ri butta monri bola-bola tau, nabbéréyangngi bola pallalengeng iya macawé’é sibawa kampong-kampong iya engkaéngngi. Tungke unite akkuranna 3.000 sibawa 6.000 milimeter, riébbu polé ri kaju laminasi assilang (cross-laminated timber) sibawa baja daur ulang untu’ pattaroang iya macépa. Panél solo’, panassang bosi na WC kompos mattulungngi asseddingeng mallantu ale’. Rumah kaca sisama sibawa onrong akkasiwiyang iya malunra mancaji onrong kegiyatang mattanang-tanang sibawa pappasituruang akkalinrungeng. Susunang bolaé linrungiwi assipribadiang narekko mappalaloi assamaturungeng pole’na tau ri masaraka’.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Bessi

Grow Together Fungsi Utama: Bola Mikro iyanaritu pakoro A' Design Award Bessi, pakalebbi iya malebbi iya ripabbere ri desain makessing iya mappabbura persyaratan profesional sibawa industri iya ripakkirangngi pole ri ciptaan iya makessing ripikkiri. Pakoro Bessi mappakita keterampilan malompo, spesialisasi dalleng, pemahaman ahli sibawa kapasitas kreatif tau mabbuat. Grow Together Fungsi Utama: Bola Mikro ripakkirangngi mancaji ciptaan iya ripakalebbi, ripuji sibawa rirennu iya praktis sibawa inovatif. Desain pakoro A' Design Award Bessi iyae mappasilaong praktik tepat industri sibawa napaitai karakteristik teknis iya kompeten iya sipulung sibawa pengetahuan sibawa bakat. Nasaba ketelitiannna, Grow Together Fungsi Utama: Bola Mikro mappoleang pakalebbi sibawa ripikkiri mappabbere perbaikan kualitas laleng iya ritulung mappadeceng lino mancaji tempe makessing.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Grow Together is an intergenerational community hub that integrates adaptive architecture, urban farming, and sustainable living. The design fosters cross-generational exchange through modular housing, shared greenhouses, and flexible communal spaces. Utilizing biophilic principles, passive cooling, and circular material strategies, it enhances resilience and well-being. Its unique strength lies in fostering social cohesion while promoting ecological responsibility and self-sufficiency.
Dimensions & Packaging: Grow Together features modular micro-housing units measuring 3,000mm (W) x 6,000mm (D) x 3,200mm (H), designed for easy deployment in residential backyards. Each unit incorporates off-grid solar panels, a rainwater filtration system, and composting toilets for self-sufficiency. The lightweight CLT and recycled steel structure allows for rapid assembly. Shared community hubs range from 20m² to 50m², integrating urban farming zones and flexible gathering spaces for reintegration programs.
Tags: micro-housing, intergenerational living, homelessness solution, modular architecture, urban farming, off-grid shelter, sustainable design, community reintegration, adaptive reuse, social impact
Production Technology: Grow Together utilizes prefabricated modular construction, integrating cross-laminated timber (CLT), recycled steel frames, and bio-based insulation for sustainability and efficiency. The design employs passive solar strategies, rainwater harvesting, and off-grid energy solutions to ensure self-sufficiency. Digital parametric modeling and AI-assisted spatial optimization guided the form and layout, maximizing adaptability, privacy, and seamless integration within existing urban fabric.
Design Challenge: The greatest challenge in Grow Together was balancing privacy and social reintegration while ensuring scalability and feasibility. Socially, resistance to backyard shelters required design solutions that reassured homeowners and preserved neighborhood aesthetics. Legally, zoning restrictions and permitting posed barriers. Technologically, optimizing off-grid utilities in a compact form was complex. Overcoming these required community engagement, modular innovation, and adaptive policy integration.
Research: Grow Together is based on social impact and architectural research addressing homelessness in Seattle. The objective was to explore backyard micro-housing as a transitional solution for reintegration. Using case studies, interviews, and spatial analysis, data was collected from homeowners, social workers, and unhoused individuals. Findings highlight the need for privacy, community engagement, and self-sufficiency. The project fosters scalable, community-driven solutions, influencing urban policy and inclusive design.
Inspiration: Grow Together is inspired by the urgent social challenge of homelessness in Seattle and the growing willingness of residents to share their backyards for micro/off-grid shelters. The project reimagines communal reintegration through modular, self-sustaining dwellings that offer transitional housing for individuals seeking to reconnect with society. By integrating adaptive architecture and urban farming, it fosters dignity, autonomy, and social inclusion.
Project Duration: March 2024 Seattle
Operation Flow: Grow Together operates as a flexible micro-housing solution that reintegrates individuals experiencing homelessness into the community. Homeowners can install modular units in their backyards, providing temporary, self-sustaining shelters. Residents engage in shared gardening, skill-building, and social programs in communal spaces. The adaptable design ensures privacy while fostering interaction, creating a supportive transition toward permanent housing and social reintegration.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Yanci Chen
Team Members: Yanci Chen
Image Credits: Yanci Chen