Vernacular Home Función Principal: Casa Rural by Xinyun Li

Vernacular Home Función Principal: Casa Rural by Xinyun Li is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award de Hierro in Diseño de Producto Sostenible Competition Category.

HierroProducto Sostenible· 2026

Vernacular Home Función Principal: Casa Rural

by Xinyun Li

A' Design Award de Hierro Winner in Producto Sostenible Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #174956

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About Vernacular Home Función Principal: Casa Rural

Texto del Libro: La Vivienda Vernácula en Bangladés está diseñada con materiales locales, como barro, bambú, paja y ladrillos hechos con tierra local. En respuesta a los climas cálidos y los prolongados monzones, cuenta con un tejado inclinado, una veranda elevada y ventilación cruzada para el enfriamiento pasivo. Las aberturas en los muros a barlovento y sotavento liberan el calor, mientras que las cavidades de doble ladrillo proporcionan aislamiento. Ollas de barro incrustadas en el muro de la casa de té enfrían el aire. Utilizando botellas de un litro como fuente de luz para los interiores, la vivienda incluye dormitorios, una cocina, un baño, establos para vacas y una casa de té con un espacio comercial que respalda su sustento a la vez que garantiza la privacidad.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Hierro

Vernacular Home Función Principal: Casa Rural ha ganado el A' Design Award de Hierro, un reconocimiento prestigioso concedido a buenos diseños que cumplen los requisitos profesionales e industriales que se esperan de creaciones bien diseñadas. Los ganadores de Hierro demuestran gran habilidad, alta especialización, comprensión experta y capacidad creativa de sus creadores. Se espera que Vernacular Home Función Principal: Casa Rural sea una creación muy apreciada, admirada y querida, práctica e innovadora. Este diseño ganador del A' Design Award de Hierro integra las mejores prácticas del sector y tiene características técnicas competentes unidas a conocimiento práctico y talento. Vernacular Home Función Principal: Casa Rural es respetado por su minuciosidad y está concebido para aportar mejoras en la calidad de vida que ayudan a hacer del mundo un lugar mejor.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The Vernacular Home in Modonpur, Bangladesh, is a sustainable house built with local materials like mud, straw, bamboo, bricks, and tin sheets. Designed for a family of four, it supports living, working, and livelihood. It responds to the hot, rainy climate with a raised veranda, steep roof, and cross-ventilation strategies in the facade design. Clay pots on the wall cool the tea house, while 'liter bottles of light' brighten interiors, showing a low-cost, low-impact design philosophy.
Dimensions & Packaging: tin sheet: 2' width * 8' length
Brick: 9 5/8" length* 4 5/8" height * 3" depth
Pottery: large opening is 5" R, and the small side opening is 1.5" R
The mud wall is 10" thick
Bamboo: 1.5" R
Tags: sustainability, vernacular home, rural, house, traditional building, local materials, climate
Production Technology: Bangladesh's locally made bricks and tin sheets.
Natural straw, mud, pottery, and bamboo.
The brick and the tin sheets are standard sizes and are manufactured in the local factories.
Traditional handmade mud and the way of polishing.
The potteries on the mud walls are smaller than the local typical size, which were made in the neighboring village.
The way of tying the straw is their vernacular type.
Design Challenge: Use the vernacular materials and design the buildings to face the local climate to make the microclimate more comfortable. Control the building budget and labor cost under 2500 USD.
Research: Two weeks were spent in the village to become familiar with local materials and to study traditional mud construction techniques as well as straw-tying methods. During this period, I also researched the climate of Para Dash and analyzed the vernacular architectural language, considering how new strategies could be integrated into the design to improve the microclimate. The needs and expectations of the local residents were carefully documented and incorporated into the final design.
Inspiration: This project explores the social responsibility of architects. Despite rapid technological advancements, many regions around the world remain underdeveloped. People in these areas are more directly exposed to natural conditions, yet they also have the right to live a better life. As architects, we should not only make better use of locally available materials but also respond to the most immediate needs of these communities by designing housing that is practical and suitable for widespread use.
Project Duration: It is designed in Modonpur, Bangladesh, a very natural village called Dash Para. The design phase lasted 4 months. It is a concept design.
Operation Flow: Given the hot climate in Bangladesh and long monsoon season, the design addresses thermal comfort and climate responsiveness through spatial layout, façade design, and roof form. A raised veranda protects against flooding, and steeply pitched roofs ensure efficient rainwater runoff. Rooms are arranged for optimal cross-ventilation, with varying window heights on windward and leeward sides to expel heat. On the tea house façade, locally made clay pots from a neighboring village are inserted into the mud wall to help cool the air by compressing airflow, enhancing microclimate comfort.
Image Credits: Image #1: Xinyun Li
Image #2: Xinyun Li
Image #3: Xinyun Li
Image #4: Xinyun Li
Image #5: Xinyun Li