Cad Coffee Dealbhadh Taobh a-staigh Cafaidh by Yi Zhou

Cad Coffee Dealbhadh Taobh a-staigh Cafaidh by Yi Zhou is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Duais Airgid A' Design Award in Dealbhadh Àiteachan Taobh a-staigh agus Taisbeanaidh Competition Category.

AirgeadTaobh a-staigh· 2026

Cad Coffee Dealbhadh Taobh a-staigh Cafaidh

by Yi Zhou

Client: Dayi Design

Duais Airgid A' Design Award Winner in Taobh a-staigh Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #174342

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Cad Coffee Dealbhadh Taobh a-staigh Cafaidh

'S e taobh a-staigh cafaidh a th' ann an Cad Coffee, suidhichte ann an seann fhactaraidh saimeant ri taobh pàirc baile ann an Jiangsu, Sìona. Chaidh an slige agus am frèam cruadhtan daingnichte tùsail a ghlèidheadh, le neartachadh stàilinn ann am pàirt dheth. Bidh panailean glainne mòra bhon làr chun a' mhullaich a' toirt solas an latha a-steach agus a' fosgladh nan seòmraichean ris an talamh phàirce. Tha na sònaichean gnìomhach air an cur air dòigh timcheall air bàr cofaidh meadhanach agus nam measg tha suidheachain ceumnaichte, cunntairean fiodha, còmhdach aodaich agus pàirteachaidhean ioma-ghnìomhach. Chaidh fiodh ath-chleachdte agus aodaichean garbha fhaighinn gu h-ionadail. Tha an t-àite a' còmhdach 1000 meatair ceàrnagach.

The Recognition

About the Duais Airgid A' Design Award

Tha Cad Coffee Dealbhadh Taobh a-staigh Cafaidh air Duais Airgid A' Design Award a bhuannachadh, aithneachadh gu math urramach a bheirear do dhealbhaidhean den chiad ìre, àlainn agus drùidhteach. Tha buannaichean Airgid nan obraichean anabarrach boillsgeach agus gu math cruthachail a nochdas sàr-eòlas, tàlant agus geurchuis an luchd-dealbhaidh. Thathar an dùil gum bi Cad Coffee Dealbhadh Taobh a-staigh Cafaidh na obair mhìorbhaileach, na sàr-eisimpleir a tha gu sònraichte proifeiseanta agus gu domhainn ùr-ghnàthach. Tha an dealbhadh seo a bhuannaich Duais Airgid A' Design Award na innleachd glè fhaicsinneach, ion-mholta a bhrosnaicheas crìochan ealain, saidheans, dealbhaidh agus teicneolais. Tha Cad Coffee Dealbhadh Taobh a-staigh Cafaidh na chruthachadh air a bheil mòran eud, a dhùisgeas miannan, a bheir faireachdainnean math agus a thogas iongnadh is miorbhail.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: This design revitalizes a former cement factory adjacent to a city park into an open, layered coffee space. Retaining the building's raw structural form and historical traces, the renovation introduces expansive glazing, natural lighting, and modular zoning. Functional areas extend around a central coffee bar, meeting diverse social and individual needs. The result is a fluid, quiet retreat that harmonizes industrial memory with organic textures and urban leisure.
Dimensions & Packaging: The space spans a total of 1000 square meters. Its structural shell uses reinforced concrete, with partial steel frame reinforcement. For fenestration, it features custom French floor-to-ceiling glass panels. Inside, the layout includes tiered seating, integrated wooden counters, textile upholstery, and multi-functional partitions. Natural finishes dominate, paired with curated greenery and art to add spatial layering. Passive ventilation and strategic solar exposure optimize indoor comfort and lighting balance throughout the day.
Tags: Interior Design, Adaptive Reuse, Coffee Space, Industrial Renovation, Nature Integration, Minimal Intervention, Spatial Layering, Daylight Design, Cement Factory Conversion, Emotional Design
Production Technology: The project employed minimal intervention principles, retaining the original concrete shell and frame. Locally sourced materials such as reclaimed wood and coarse fabrics were prioritized to reduce carbon footprint. Large glass panels and French windows were retrofitted to engage the outdoors, while natural light strategies replaced artificial lighting. Restoration over remodeling guided the process, preserving both structural integrity and aged textures.
Design Challenge: The greatest challenge was balancing preservation with intervention honoring the cement factory's raw essence while introducing comfort and adaptability. Regulatory constraints, structural aging, and limited mechanical systems posed technical hurdles. Externally, expectations of renovation equals polish were resisted. The team redefined value as emotional atmosphere over perfection, transforming ruins into a warm, contextual, and shared emotional terrain.
Research: This spatial research explores how adaptive reuse and minimalist renovation can provide emotional refuge within urban settings. Using qualitative site observation, user interviews, and behavior mapping, the study evaluated the impact of spatial openness, daylight, and material tactility on visitor well being. Insights informed design decisions promoting detachment from daily stress. The result: a model of micro-escape architecture balancing emotional need with urban reuse.
Inspiration: Inspired by the emotional fatigue of modern life, the design reinterprets the act of drinking coffee as a pause from relentless urban rhythms. Drawing on the symbolism of ruins, wilderness, and fragmented time, the space merges a disused industrial shell with lush parkland. The aim is not nostalgia, but to plant a quiet unfamiliar moment a detour in life's fast-moving track where visitors reclaim presence through light, nature, and texture.
Project Duration: The project started in February 2024 in Jiangsu, China and finished in June 2024.
Operation Flow: The space invites users into a seamless transition from city park to cafe, with natural light guiding circulation. Centralized around the coffee counter, zones for group gatherings, solo reading, or business interaction unfold intuitively. Elevated seating introduces spatial rhythm, while outdoor garden terraces blur boundaries with the landscape. The space adapts to individual paces whether lingering alone or casually socializing within an open, sensory rich environment.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Cong Lin, 2024.
Image Credits: Image #1: Photographer Cong Lin, Cad Coffee, 2024.
Image #2: Photographer Cong Lin, Cad Coffee, 2024.
Image #3: Photographer Cong Lin, Cad Coffee, 2024.
Image #4: Photographer Cong Lin, Cad Coffee, 2024.
Image #5: Photographer Cong Lin, Cad Coffee, 2024.