Liao Liao One Cup Ụlọ Kọfị by Zhijiang Shan and Fan Li is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Bronz in Nhazi Ụlọ Owu, Ụlọ na Ihe Owuwu Competition Category.
BronzỤlọ Owu· 2026
Liao Liao One Cup Ụlọ Kọfị
Client: R&J Design
Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Bronz Winner in Ụlọ Owu Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #180902The Design
About Liao Liao One Cup Ụlọ Kọfị
Liao Liao One Cup bụ ụlọ kọfị nwere otu elu ewuru n'akụkụ Ụlọ Ngosi Ihe Ochie nke Luoyang na Luoyang, China. Ụlọ ahụ na-eji ụkpụrụ passive house iji belata mkpa ọ dị maka igwe nkụda oyi. Elu ụlọ na-agbagọ agbagọ, nke sitere n'osimiri Luo ochie kpaliri, na-adọta ikuku site n'ime ụlọ meghere emeghe ma bụrụkwa isi njirimara nrụpụta ụlọ ahụ. E ji nchara Corten nke ihu igwe metụrụla na nchara na-adịghị agba nchara e hichara dịka enyo kpuchie okpokoro ígwè gbara ọtọ, nke wepụrụ mkpa ịchọ mma agbakwunyere. Uko ụlọ nkume na-edozighị edozi na-enye ike ndozi okpomọkụ, ebe iko sitere n'ala ruo n'uko na-ewebata ìhè ehihie.
The Recognition
About the Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Bronz
Liao Liao One Cup Ụlọ Kọfị meriri A' Design Award nke Bronz, nnabata dị oke ugwu e nyere design ndị pụtara ìhè nke a ma ama maka nzụlite ihe, ọgụgụ isi na nghọta. Ndị meriri na Bronz bụ ihe e mere nke ndị nwere nka nke ukwuu ma dị mma n'imepụta nke na-egosi ahụmahụ buru ibu, echiche na ọgụgụ isi nke ndị designer ha. A na-atụ anya na Liao Liao One Cup Ụlọ Kọfị ga-abụ ihe a na-asọpụrụ nke ukwuu, a na-eto na a hụrụ n'anya, nke dị oke ọrụ ma dị ọhụrụ. Design a meriri A' Design Award nke Bronz na-agụnye ụzọ kacha mma n'ime nka, sayensị, design na teknụzụ, ma dị mma nke ukwuu maka nlebara anya ya n'obere ihe. Liao Liao One Cup Ụlọ Kọfị na-emezu mkpa nke ọma, na-emetụ ọchịchọ aka, na-adọrọ mmetụta obi ma na-adọta ọchịchọ ịmara.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- This cafe pioneers passive house application in commercial hospitality, using the undulating roofline as both environmental system and cultural landmark. Natural ventilation replaces mechanical cooling while Corten steel and mirror-polished stainless steel create a bold material vocabulary. Adjacent to a major museum, the design establishes a new architectural identity for sustainable public gathering spaces in heritage contexts, proving innovation and cultural resonance can coexist.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Single-story cafe pavilion featuring passive ventilation roofline, weathered Corten steel and mirror-polished stainless steel cladding, exposed steel structural framework, raw stone thermal mass ceiling, and floor-to-ceiling low-E glazing. Climate-responsive roof geometry optimized for natural airflow and daylight penetration. Minimal mechanical cooling systems required.
- Tags
- Cafe, passive house, sustainability, cultural landmark, Corten steel, innovation, Luoyang Museum, Luo River, natural ventilation, heritage, green architecture, climate responsive
- Production Technology
- The undulating roofline integrates passive house engineering with sculptural fabrication. Corten steel panels and mirror-polished stainless steel were precision-formed to optimize natural airflow patterns derived from computational climate analysis. Exposed structural frameworks eliminate the need for secondary finishes, reducing material waste. Raw stone ceiling textures provide thermal mass for passive temperature regulation. The entire construction strategy prioritizes long-term environmental performance alongside minimal site intervention.
- Design Challenge
- The core challenge was threefold: achieving passive house performance through architectural form alone, creating a recognizable cultural landmark adjacent to a major heritage institution, and proving these goals are complementary rather than contradictory. The resolution embedded environmental function within the sculptural roofline, allowing a single design element to serve as climate system, cultural symbol, and brand identity simultaneously.
- Research
- This project advances passive house application beyond residential typology into public commercial architecture. The roofline functions simultaneously as cultural landmark and environmental system, demonstrating that climate-responsive innovation can generate architectural identity rather than constrain it. Situated in a heritage district, the design proposes a replicable model for sustainable cultural landmarks that honor context through contrast rather than imitation.
- Inspiration
- Situated beside the Luoyang Museum, this project was inspired by the challenge of creating a new cultural landmark that advances sustainable building practice. The sculptural roofline channels the ancient Luo River, embedding climate-responsive innovation within cultural symbolism. The vision was to prove that passive house principles can define the next generation of public architecture in heritage districts, where environmental innovation and cultural identity reinforce each other.
- Project Duration
- Completed adjacent to Luoyang Museum, Luoyang, Henan Province, China in 2025
- Operation Flow
- The passive ventilation system shapes the visitor experience from arrival. The roofline draws air naturally through the open-plan interior, creating thermal comfort without mechanical noise. Floor-to-ceiling glazing connects visitors to the museum landscape while maximizing daylight, reducing energy consumption. Material transitions from raw Corten to polished steel guide movement through zones of varying intimacy, each defined by sustainable material honesty rather than decorative excess.
- Team Members
- Designers: Zhijiang Shan, Fan Li
- Image Credits
- Photo: Wei Zhao
Video: Zimo Shan
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