The Weave Togalach Foghlaim by Yuchen Qiu

The Weave Togalach Foghlaim by Yuchen Qiu is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Duais Umha A' Design Award in Dealbhadh Ailtireachd, Togalaichean agus Structaran Competition Category.

UmhaAiltireachd· 2026

The Weave Togalach Foghlaim

by Yuchen Qiu

Client: Studio Liminal

Duais Umha A' Design Award Winner in Ailtireachd Category

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About The Weave Togalach Foghlaim

'S e togalach foghlaim a th' anns an Weave a chaidh a chruthachadh tro ath-chleachdadh atharrachail air sgoil phoblach clachaireachd le plana-H ann am Baile New York, na SA. Chaidh an ceangal meadhanach a thoirt air falbh agus àtrium de dh'fhiodh tomadach agus glainne le iarann ìosal a chur na àite, a tha a' cruthachadh àite-ionnsachaidh coitcheann. Tha ionnsachadh air a chur air dòigh mar chearcall de theagasg, cleachdadh, agus còmhradh no meòrachadh. Tha an t-àite coitcheann a' ceangal nam modhan sin le cuairteachadh faicsinneach, oirean sgrùdaidh, agus ceumannan cruinneachaidh. Tha solas an latha agus stiùireadh soilleir a' cuideachadh le cleachdadh làitheil. Tha ath-chleachdadh an t-slige chlachaireachd agus togail le fiodh a' lùghdachadh gualan gnèitheach agus sgudal togail.

The Recognition

About the Duais Umha A' Design Award

Tha The Weave Togalach Foghlaim air Duais Umha A' Design Award a bhuannachadh, aithneachadh gu math urramach a bheirear do dhealbhaidhean sònraichte a tha air an comharrachadh le cruthachalachd, innleachd agus geurchuis. Tha buannaichean Umha nan obraichean gu math sgileil agus gu sònraichte cruthachail a dhearbhas eòlas farsaing, mac-meanmna agus tapachd an luchd-dealbhaidh. Thathar an dùil gum bi The Weave Togalach Foghlaim na nì air a bheil mòran meas, ion-mholta agus gràdhach, a tha gu sònraichte proifeiseanta agus ùr-ghnàthach. Tha an dealbhadh seo a bhuannaich Duais Umha A' Design Award a' cur nan cleachdaidhean as fheàrr ann an ealain, saidheans, dealbhadh agus teicneolas an gnìomh, agus tha e sàr-mhath airson an aire do mhion-fhiosrachadh. Bidh The Weave Togalach Foghlaim a' sàsachadh fheumalachdan gu h-iongantach, a' suathadh ri miannan, a' tàladh faireachdainnean agus a' togail fiosrachd.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Adaptive reuse of a New York City H-plan masonry public school. The central connector is removed and replaced with a mass timber and low iron glass atrium that organizes the School of Methodology, where learning cycles through instruction, practice, and discussion or reflection. The new commons weaves these modes into a visible shared heart, increasing daylight, orientation, and flexible study and gathering space while reuse and timber reduce embodied carbon and construction waste.
Dimensions & Packaging: Selective demolition of the existing connector enables a prefabricated mass-timber (GLT/CLT) frame inserted within the retained masonry shell. New low-iron curtain wall integrates with timber nodes. Assembly is conceived as a dry, bolted system for fast erection and disassembly. Reuse of the existing structure and timber construction reduce embodied carbon and site waste.
Tags: Adaptive Reuse, Educational Architecture, Mass Timber, Low-Carbon Design, Daylighting, Learning Commons, Embodied Carbon, Passive Strategies, Glass Atrium, Healthy Materials
Production Technology: The intervention is conceived as a prefabricated mass timber structure integrated with the retained masonry building. Glulam columns and beams support CLT floor and roof panels, connected with bolted steel plates for dry assembly. A low iron insulated glass facade ties the new atrium to the existing wings. Reusing the shell and using timber reduces embodied carbon, site waste, and disruption.
Design Challenge: The key challenge was inserting a contemporary commons into a heavy masonry H-plan while keeping the original building legible and improving sustainability. The proposal had to balance selective demolition, structural feasibility, and code-driven circulation with daylight, thermal comfort, and long-term adaptability. Achieving a light, transparent intervention without increasing energy demand required careful sectional iteration.
Research: Research examined how an H-plan school can support learning through instruction, practice, and reflection while improving environmental performance through reuse. Methods included precedent study, movement/adjacency diagrams, daylight and visibility mapping, and iterative sectional/structural studies. The resulting strategy replaces the central connector with a mass-timber and glass commons that increases shared space, legibility, and low-energy flexibility.
Inspiration: The project was motivated by two goals: strengthen the learning cycle of instruction, practice, and reflection, and extend the life of a durable public school building through reuse. Typical H-plan schools separate activities into wings with weak shared space. A transparent mass timber commons in the former connector creates a social and academic heart, improves daylight and comfort, and supports long term adaptability with lower environmental impact.
Project Duration: New York City, USA. Adaptive reuse proposal for an existing H-plan public school building, emphasizing reuse of the masonry shell and a low-carbon mass-timber intervention.
Operation Flow: The school is organized around three learning modes, instruction, practice, and discussion or reflection, connected by a shared atrium. Daily circulation becomes a learning loop with study balconies, library niches, and informal steps for gathering. Transparent edges support supervision and collaboration, while flexible furniture allows spaces to shift from quiet study to group discussion and exhibitions. Daylight and passive visibility reduce reliance on artificial lighting and support a healthy, low energy environment.