Pinxi Ka Hoʻolālā Loko o ke Keʻena Lapaʻau Niho by Pao-Chieh Chou

Pinxi Ka Hoʻolālā Loko o ke Keʻena Lapaʻau Niho by Pao-Chieh Chou is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Keleawe in Hoʻolālā Loko Hale a me Hōʻike Competition Category.

KeleaweLoko Hale· 2026

Pinxi Ka Hoʻolālā Loko o ke Keʻena Lapaʻau Niho

by Pao-Chieh Chou

Client: Yuanpei interior DecorationCo., Ltd.

A' Design Award Keleawe Winner in Loko Hale Category

7,584

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #174574

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Pinxi Ka Hoʻolālā Loko o ke Keʻena Lapaʻau Niho

He wahi loko keʻena lapaʻau niho ʻo Pinxi ma Taiwan, e uhi ana i 152 mika ʻāpana ma ka hoʻonohonoho ʻano hua palapala L. Ke unuhi hou nei ka hoʻolālā i ka nani Pākē ma ke ʻano hou o kēia au. Hoʻohana ʻia ka pōhaku kūlohelohe me nā laina like me nā ʻale ma ka paia o ka wahi kali. Hoʻopalupalu nā kukui i hoʻohālikelike ʻia me nā ipukukui i ka wahi noho. Hoʻohana ʻia nā ʻano ulana a me nā lauhala ma nā kaupoku a me nā waihona. Ua hoʻonoho ʻia ka lumi X-ray i loko o ka wahi hoʻokipa, i hoʻopuni ʻia e nā kikoʻī pōhaku i kālai ʻia, me nā kukui hōʻike a me nā hōʻailona i hoʻokomo ʻia i loko o kahi pā puka i hana kūikawā ʻia. Ma waena o nā mea hana, ʻo ka lāʻau lahilahi, ka pōhaku papa, ka ulana ʻohe a me ke kaula i ulana lima ʻia. Hana nā kala ʻīnika a keleawe i ke ʻano mālie o ia wahi.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Keleawe

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Pinxi Ka Hoʻolālā Loko o ke Keʻena Lapaʻau Niho i ka A' Design Award Keleawe, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kūʻokoʻa i ʻike ʻia ma o ka hana noʻeau, ka akamai a me ka makakoho. He mau hana mākaukau a hana noʻeau kupaianaha nā lanakila Keleawe e hōʻoia ana i ka ʻike nui, ka noʻonoʻo a me ka maʻalea o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Pinxi Ka Hoʻolālā Loko o ke Keʻena Lapaʻau Niho he mea i mahalo nui ʻia, hoʻohiwahiwa ʻia a aloha ʻia, he ʻoihana a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Keleawe e hoʻohui ana i nā hana maikaʻi loa o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana, a maikaʻi no kona nānā ʻana i nā kikoʻī. Hoʻokō maikaʻi ka hoʻolālā Pinxi Ka Hoʻolālā Loko o ke Keʻena Lapaʻau Niho i nā pono, hoʻopā i ka makemake, hoʻohiwahiwa i nā manaʻo a huki i ka makemake e ʻike.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The waiting area's main wall features natural stone with ripple-like linear patterns, symbolizing healing as a return to simplicity. Lantern-inspired lighting softens the seating area, creating calm, nuanced moments. Ceiling and cabinetry follow the 'round heaven, square earth' principle, using latticework and woven textures for a modern take on tradition. Unusually, the X-ray room is showcased, not hidden, highlighted by carved stone forms. A rope-textured treatment wall extends the brand's refined, structural elegance.
Dimensions & Packaging: Due to regulatory constraints, the X-ray room required a fixed construction method and could not include any transparent material or design. It also needed integrated control panels and warning systems. The designers boldly integrated this room into the reception zone, incorporating warning lights and signage into a custom doorplate design, retaining full functionality while elevating aesthetics. Carved wall details frame the X-ray room, turning a typically hidden feature into an open, balanced spatial moment.
Tags: Contemporary Chinese design, warm tone, woven textures, eco-friendly materials, natural stone, L-shaped layout
Production Technology: The color palette falls between coffee and gray tones, creating a rich ink-bronze hue that echoes Chinese design sensibilities. The walls are finished with mineral coatings, resembling stone aged by time, subtle yet textured, harmonizing with coffee and taupe tones to achieve a warm balance between cool and warm. Major surface materials include wood veneer, tile, cane weave, and decorative iron window patterns, while accents feature handwoven scout rope walls that evoke the layered brushwork of ink paintings, offering a tactile, artisanal touch.
Design Challenge: A major challenge was integrating plumbing and circulation due to elevation differences and one-sided water access. This was resolved through floor adjustments and restructured routing. The deeper difficulty, however, lay in translating Chinese design into a modern context without nostalgia or theatrics. As a niche aesthetic in Taiwan, Chinese style risks feeling dated. The team aimed for a restrained, timeless approach, using materials and mood over motifs, achieving what they call 'a contemporary revival of classical elegance.'
Research: This 152 square meter L-shaped clinic reimagines traditional Chinese aesthetics for modern dental care. Blending cultural richness with emotional calm, the design centers on 'refined simplicity, transformation through precision.' Materials like stone, wood, rope, and cane reinterpret Eastern style in a fresh, understated way. A 25 cm elevation shift and one-sided plumbing were resolved to create fluid zones. Ink-bronze tones evoke tranquility, offering a new vision of Chinese interiors with depth and trust.
Inspiration: Inspired by contemporary Chinese aesthetics, this dental clinic reinterprets Eastern imagery through a modern lens. Reflecting the client's passion for Oriental culture and healing beauty, the design centers on the brand's ethos: 'refined simplicity, transformation through precision.' Materials like stone, wood, rope, and latticework create a calm yet distinctly modern Chinese identity. From entry onward, the clinic transcends traditional dental settings, offering a serene, immersive experience.
Project Duration: The project finished in October 2024 in Taiwan.
Operation Flow: The project received widespread acclaim for its calming use of natural materials, symbolic depth, and minimalist design. Visitors appreciated the interplay of stone and water imagery in the waiting area and the subtle repetition of the number 'three,' which added cultural meaning. Classical Eastern elements were distilled into a quiet, modern language, creating a space that felt both refined and emotionally warm. The result was a highly functional clinic with strong user resonance and client satisfaction.
Team Members: PAO-CHIEH CHOU
Image Credits: Yuanpei interior DecorationCo., Ltd.