Vernacular Home Primary Function: Vaj Tsev Nyob Nraum Teb by Xinyun Li

Vernacular Home Primary Function: Vaj Tsev Nyob Nraum Teb by Xinyun Li is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Hlau in Tsim Khoom Ruaj Khov, Hauj Lwm thiab Kev Tsim Ntsuab Competition Category.

HlauKhoom Ruaj Khov· 2026

Vernacular Home Primary Function: Vaj Tsev Nyob Nraum Teb

by Xinyun Li

A' Design Award Hlau Winner in Khoom Ruaj Khov Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #174956

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Vernacular Home Primary Function: Vaj Tsev Nyob Nraum Teb

Book Text: Lub Tsev Ib Txwm Nyob hauv Bangladesh raug tsim los siv cov khoom hauv zos, xws li av nplaum, xyoob, quav nyab, thiab thwv cib uas tsim los ntawm av hauv zos. Los teb rau huab cua kub thiab lub caij nag ntev, nws muaj lub qhov ru ntxeev heev, ib qho veranda uas nce siab, thiab huab cua hla los txias yam tsis siv fais fab. Cov qhov rooj qhov qhib ntawm cov phab ntsa uas cua ntsawj thiab tsis muaj cua tso cua kub tawm, thaum cov qhov khoob thwv cib ob txheej thaiv cua sov. Cov laujkaub av uas ntsia rau hauv lub phab ntsa tsev haus tshuaj yej ua rau cua txias. Siv cov fwj litre uas muaj teeb rau sab hauv tsev, lub tsev muaj chav pw, chav ua noj, chav dej, nkuaj nyuj, thiab ib lub tsev haus tshuaj yej uas muaj chaw muag khoom los txhawb lawv txoj kev khwv noj khwv haus thaum tseem ceev khaws lawv lub neej ntiag tug.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Hlau

Vernacular Home Primary Function: Vaj Tsev Nyob Nraum Teb yog tus yeej ntawm A' Design Award Hlau, ib qho kev lees paub muaj meej mom uas muab rau cov qauv tsim zoo uas ua tau raws li cov kev xav tau ntawm kev ua haujlwm thiab kev lag luam uas xav tau los ntawm cov khoom tsim zoo. Cov neeg yeej Hlau qhia txog kev txawj loj, kev paub tshwj xeeb siab, kev nkag siab ntawm cov kws tshaj lij thiab lub peev xwm tsim ntawm cov neeg tsim. Vernacular Home Primary Function: Vaj Tsev Nyob Nraum Teb xav tias yuav yog ib qho khoom tsim uas neeg hwm, qhuas thiab hlub uas siv tau thiab tsim tshiab. Cov qauv tsim yeej A' Design Award Hlau no sib xyaw cov kev coj ua zoo tshaj plaws ntawm kev lag luam thiab muaj cov yam ntxwv siv tshuab txawj ntse txuas nrog kev paub thiab txuj ci. Vernacular Home Primary Function: Vaj Tsev Nyob Nraum Teb tau txais kev hwm vim nws tag nrho thiab tsim los muab kev txhim kho rau lub neej uas pab ua rau lub ntiaj teb zoo dua.

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