City on the Loop Ojiji Agwakọtara by Ruxuan Zheng

City on the Loop Ojiji Agwakọtara by Ruxuan Zheng is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Ọlaọcha in Nhazi Obodo na Nhazi Obodo Ukwu Competition Category.

ỌlaọchaNhazi Obodo· 2026

City on the Loop Ojiji Agwakọtara

by Ruxuan Zheng

Client: Ruxuan Zheng

Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Ọlaọcha Winner in Nhazi Obodo Category

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The Design

About City on the Loop Ojiji Agwakọtara

City on the Loop na-emegharị uche echiche banyere ala mmiri oke osimiri nke idei mmiri na-emetụta na Brooklyn ka ọ bụrụ nsọtụ obodo na-aga n'ihu nke na-emegharị onwe ya maka ịrị elu nke mmiri oke osimiri. N'ịbụ nke e wuru n'elu akụrụngwa ndị dị adị, atụmatụ a na-ewebata ụlọ obibi dị elu, ụgbọ okporo ígwè dị mfe, na mmemme ọha na eze na-eguzogide idei mmiri n'usoro atọ. Ndakọrịta ala na oke osimiri na-anọchi oke siri ike, na-eme ka ụkpụrụ ụlọ, gburugburu ebe obibi, na ndụ obodo mekọrịta ọnụ. Loop ahụ na-arụ ọrụ dịka ma usoro oghere ma sistemụ na-emegharị onwe ya, na-etolite na mgbanwe gburugburu ebe obibi ma na-enye usoro maka ọchịchị ọgụgụ isi nke ọdịnihu na-aza mgbanwe ihu igwe.

The Recognition

About the Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Ọlaọcha

City on the Loop Ojiji Agwakọtara meriri A' Design Award nke Ọlaọcha, nnabata dị oke ugwu e nyere design ndị dị n'ọkwa kachasị elu, mara mma ma na-eju anya. Ndị meriri na Ọlaọcha bụ ọrụ na-egbu maramara nke ukwuu ma dị oke nzụlite nke na-egosi ọmarịcha ihe ọmụma, talent na nghọta nke ndị designer ha. A na-atụ anya na City on the Loop Ojiji Agwakọtara ga-abụ ọrụ dị ịtụnanya, ihe nlereanya, nke dị oke ọrụ ma dị omimi n'ihe ọhụrụ. Design a meriri A' Design Award nke Ọlaọcha bụ ihe e mepụtara dị oke ịrịba ama, nke a na-eto nke na-erite uru ma na-ebuga oke nka, sayensị, design na teknụzụ n'ihu. City on the Loop Ojiji Agwakọtara bụ ihe e kere eke ọtụtụ ndị na-ekwo ekworo ya nke na-akpali ọchịchọ, na-eweta mmetụta ọma ma na-akpali ịtụnanya.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: City on the Loop reimagines Canarsie Pier as a dynamic coastal system that adapts to rising sea levels. Through a phased loop structure built along a land–sea gradient, the project integrates housing, infrastructure, and ecology into a resilient urban edge. It transforms the shoreline from a barrier into a platform for coexistence, with future potential for AI-assisted adaptation and growth.
Dimensions & Packaging: The design was developed through phased urban modeling, sectional prototyping, and spatial iteration to explore adaptive growth along coastal gradients. Ecological, social, and infrastructural systems were layered using loop-based logic, allowing the project to evolve as both a physical structure and a future-responsive framework.
Tags: Architecture; Urban Design; Coastal Resilience; Housing; Ecological Systems; New York City
Production Technology: This design was developed through iterative digital modeling, combining GIS mapping, ecological data, and layered analysis of coastal conditions. Renderings and animations were produced using 3D visualization tools to simulate the gradient between land and sea. The process emphasized feedback loops—testing urban form against resilience, housing demand, and public accessibility.
Design Challenge: The hardest part was reconciling ecological resilience with urban density. Historically, the site has been cut off by the Belt Parkway; socially, the community faces limited waterfront access. Externally, sea-level projections and flood laws required strict compliance, while production constraints limited material choices. Information gaps on long-term climate data challenged our modeling. Overcoming these, we created a looped edge that balances housing, ecology, and public life.
Research: This is applied design research aimed at rethinking coastal urban edges. The objective was to create housing integrated with resilient infrastructure. Methodology combined GIS mapping, site surveys, 3D simulations, and projected sea-level rise and flood data. Results show a looped edge that strengthens housing, ecology, and access. Insights suggest design can influence real estate, community life, and climate adaptation.
Inspiration: Inspired by the contradictions of the Belt Parkway—both connective and divisive—this project explores how infrastructure can shift from separation to integration. It draws from tidal landscapes, looped mobility, and phased urbanism to envision a future where architecture mediates between ecological forces, human needs, and evolving coastlines.
Project Duration: The project started in September 2019 in New York as an academic studio research in Syracuse University. It has been continuously refined and expanded through independent work until June 2025, when it was exhibited at the UTOPIA exhibition.
Operation Flow: The design works like a continuous walkway that rises above the highway and bends along the shoreline. As people move through it, the structure shifts from housing to public spaces to green wetlands. Key moments include crossing the elevated loop, stepping down to the water, and meeting open plazas. By blending living, nature, and access, it turns a barrier into a shared edge, making the coast safer, more open, and more resilient for everyday use.
Team Members: Ruxuan Zheng