Grow Together Mikroboliger by Yanci Chen is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award i Jern in Socialt Design Competition Category.
JernSocialt· 2025
Grow Together Mikroboliger
by Yanci Chen
Client: Ycj Studio
A' Design Award i Jern Winner in Socialt Category
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The Design
About Grow Together Mikroboliger
Grow Together er et modulært mikroboligprojekt, der adresserer hjemløshed i Seattle. Designet placerer kompakte off-grid skure i private baghaver og tilbyder overgangsboliger tæt på etablerede boligområder. Hver enhed måler 3.000 gange 6.000 millimeter og er bygget af krydslamineret træ og genbrugsstål for hurtig samling. Solpaneler, regnvandsfiltrering og komposttoiletter understøtter selvforsyning. Fælles drivhuse og fleksible fællesarealer huser havedyrknings- og kompetenceudviklingsprogrammer. Planløsningen beskytter privatlivet, samtidig med at den fremmer social genintegration.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award i Jern
Grow Together Mikroboliger er vinder af A' Design Award i Jern, en prestigefyldt anerkendelse, der tildeles gode designs, som opfylder de professionelle og industrielle krav, man forventer af veldesignede skabelser. Jernvinderne viser stor dygtighed, høj specialisering, ekspertforståelse og kreativ kapacitet hos deres skabere. Grow Together Mikroboliger forventes at være en højt estimeret, beundret og kær skabelse, der er praktisk og innovativ. Dette design, der har vundet A' Design Award i Jern, integrerer branchens bedste praksis og har kompetente tekniske egenskaber knyttet til knowhow og talent. Grow Together Mikroboliger respekteres for sin grundighed og er designet til at levere forbedringer af livskvaliteten, der er med til at gøre verden til et bedre sted.
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
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