Plata Arquitectura · 2026
The Ripple Función Principal: Centro de cuidados paliativos
by Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu and Hao Zhong
- A' Design Award de Plata 2026 in Arquitectura
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 24,267
- Verification code 6AC97FF1FA · Verify this award
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About The Ripple Función Principal: Centro de cuidados paliativos
Texto del Libro: The Ripple es una propuesta de centro de cuidados paliativos estructurada mediante un sistema espacial concéntrico generado a partir de un patio de agua central. Ubicado en Chinatown, ciudad de Nueva York, el diseño redefine los cuidados al final de la vida como una experiencia cívica urbana en lugar de una institución aislada. Capas de umbrales, patios y cerramientos de madera guían el recorrido desde la vida pública hacia la reflexión silenciosa. La luz natural integrada, el agua y las estrategias ambientales pasivas crean una calma sensorial, favoreciendo la privacidad, la orientación y el bienestar emocional a través de la propia arquitectura.
About the A' Design Award de Plata
The Ripple Función Principal: Centro de cuidados paliativos ha ganado el A' Design Award de Plata, un reconocimiento extraordinariamente prestigioso concedido a diseños de gama alta, magníficos e impresionantes. Los ganadores de Plata son obras tremendamente brillantes y sumamente creativas que ilustran la destacada experiencia, el talento y la agudeza de sus diseñadores. Se espera que The Ripple Función Principal: Centro de cuidados paliativos sea una obra maravillosa y emblemática, notablemente profesional y profundamente innovadora. Este diseño ganador del A' Design Award de Plata es una invención muy notable y admirada que beneficia y hace avanzar las fronteras del arte, la ciencia, el diseño y la tecnología. The Ripple Función Principal: Centro de cuidados paliativos es una creación enormemente envidiada que evoca deseos, aporta sentimientos positivos y despierta asombro y admiración.
Press Kit
- 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
- Image Credits
- Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu, Hao Zhong
