The Ripple Funció primària: Centre de cures pal·liatives by Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu and Hao Zhong

The Ripple Funció primària: Centre de cures pal·liatives by Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu and Hao Zhong is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award d'Argent in Disseny d'Arquitectura, Edificació i Estructures Competition Category.

ArgentArquitectura· 2026

The Ripple Funció primària: Centre de cures pal·liatives

by Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu and Hao Zhong

A' Design Award d'Argent Winner in Arquitectura Category

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Verified Award Winner

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About The Ripple Funció primària: Centre de cures pal·liatives

Text del llibre: The Ripple és una proposta de centre de cures pal·liatives estructurat per un sistema espacial concèntric generat a partir d'un pati d'aigua central. Situat a Chinatown, a la ciutat de Nova York, el disseny redefineix l'atenció al final de la vida com una experiència cívica urbana en lloc d'una institució aïllada. Capes de llindars, patis i tancaments de fusta guien el moviment des de la vida pública cap a la reflexió tranquil·la. La llum natural integrada, l'aigua i les estratègies ambientals passives creen una calma sensorial, donant suport a la privacitat, l'orientació i el benestar emocional a través de la mateixa arquitectura.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award d'Argent

The Ripple Funció primària: Centre de cures pal·liatives és un guanyador del guardó A' Design Award d'Argent, un reconeixement extraordinàriament prestigiós concedit a dissenys d'alta gamma, esplèndids i impressionants. Els guanyadors d'Argent són obres tremendament brillants i summament creatives que il·lustren la perícia, el talent i la perspicàcia excepcionals dels seus dissenyadors. Es preveu que The Ripple Funció primària: Centre de cures pal·liatives sigui una obra meravellosa i de gran lluïment, remarcablement professional i profundament innovadora. Aquest disseny guanyador del guardó A' Design Award d'Argent és un invent molt notable i admirat que beneficia i fa avançar els límits de l'art, la ciència, el disseny i la tecnologia. The Ripple Funció primària: Centre de cures pal·liatives és una creació molt envejada que evoca desitjos, introdueix sentiments positius i desperta sorpresa i admiració.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The Ripple reimagines hospice as an urban civic sanctuary structured by a concentric ripple geometry generated from a single water court. Architecture, structure, circulation, and environmental systems align within one continuous spatial logic, integrating hybrid timber construction, passive ventilation, and water reuse. The design transforms end-of-life care into a collective, sensory experience embedded within the life of the city.
Dimensions & Packaging: The project employs a hybrid timber system organized by concentric structural rings. Curved CLT load-bearing wall segments rise from a continuous concrete foundation datum, supporting stepped roof bands with integrated skylights, photovoltaic tiles, and rainwater collection gutters. Environmental systems include stacked passive ventilation, hydronic radiant floor slabs, and on-site water filtration and reuse.
Tags: Hospice, Healthcare Design, Sensory experience, Therapeutic environment,
Production Technology: The project was developed through an integrated design methodology where geometry, structure, and environmental systems evolve from a single concentric datum. Digital modeling and iterative sectional studies guided spatial, daylight, and airflow performance. A hybrid timber system using curved CLT wall segments, cavity assemblies, and a continuous concrete base enables structural clarity while integrating rainwater collection, passive ventilation, and radiant conditioning within one coordinated assembly.
Design Challenge: The primary challenge was reconciling hospice care’s need for privacy and calm with the density and intensity of an urban Chinatown context. Social perceptions of hospice as isolated institutions required rethinking care as civic and accessible. Spatially, integrating sensory comfort, acoustic privacy, and environmental performance within a compact site demanded precise coordination of structure, water systems, and daylight. The project resolves these tensions through a unified geometric and environmental strategy.
Research: Design research combining healthcare design and environmental psychology. Objective: improve patient privacy and emotional comfort in hospice settings. Methodology explored spatial sequencing and sensory design strategies. Experiential scenarios tested water sound as a non-visual privacy buffer.
Inspiration: The Ripple is inspired by the universal image of a water drop generating expanding rings, symbolizing the continuity of life, memory, and collective care. Research into hospice environments, sensory psychology, and traditional courtyard typologies informed a design that replaces institutional isolation with spatial calm, gradual thresholds, and communal presence, integrating cultural reflection with environmental performance.
Project Duration: The project was developed between September 2025 and Janurary 2026 as part of an architectural design competition. The Ripple is located in Chinatown, New York City, where it reimagines hospice care within a dense urban context. The proposal explores how end-of-life care can integrate with everyday civic life through architecture, landscape, and community-oriented programming.
Operation Flow: Movement through Ripple follows expanding concentric rings, guiding visitors from the active city edge toward increasing quiet and intimacy. Thresholds, courtyards, and water elements choreograph gradual emotional transition rather than abrupt separation. Daylight, airflow, and acoustic water features respond passively to occupancy and climate, supporting orientation, privacy, and calm—allowing care to unfold through spatial experience rather than institutional control.
Patents: Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu, Hao Zhong
Team Members: Minghan Lin
Yuchen Qiu
Hao Zhong
Image Credits: Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu, Hao Zhong