Resurgence Ọrụ Bụ Isi: Ụka by Zehua Zhang

Resurgence Ọrụ Bụ Isi: Ụka by Zehua Zhang 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

Resurgence Ọrụ Bụ Isi: Ụka

by Zehua Zhang

Client: Zehua Zhang

Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Bronz Winner in Ụlọ Owu Category

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The Design

About Resurgence Ọrụ Bụ Isi: Ụka

Ederede Akwụkwọ: Resurgence bụ ụka ọhụrụ dị n'Altadena nke na-azaghachi mkpa iwughachi ihe mgbe ọkụ ọhịa gasịrị. Nhazi ahụ na-ezo aka n'ugwu gbara ya gburugburu site n'ụdị guzoro ọtọ, nke a pịrị apị. Kọnkịt, iko, na ogige ndị a doziri edozi na-akọwapụta oghere ime ụlọ ahụ, na-eweta ìhè ehihie ma na-emepụta gburugburu dị jụụ. Ọrụ a na-ejikọta mpaghara ofufe na akụrụngwa obodo, na-enye oghere maka ma omume ime mmụọ ma mmekọrịta ọha na eze. Ọ na-egosipụta ọnọdụ mpaghara ka ọ na-anabata ọtụtụ ọrụ obodo dị iche iche.

The Recognition

About the Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Bronz

Resurgence Ọrụ Bụ Isi: Ụka 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 Resurgence Ọrụ Bụ Isi: Ụka 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. Resurgence Ọrụ Bụ Isi: Ụka 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: Resurgence is a contemporary church in Altadena, conceived as a spiritual and cultural catalyst after the wildfire. Inspired by surrounding mountain ridges, its sculpted concrete form rises vertically toward light-filled skylights, expressing renewal. A skylight atrium and courtyard weave nature, light, and community together, uniting sacred worship and civic life in a resilient beacon of collective healing and hope.
Dimensions & Packaging: Single story building with overall dimensions of 45 meters in width, 45 meters in depth, and 18 meters in height.
Tags: Community renewal, cultural architecture, fluid form, concrete and light interplay, atrium with skylight, courtyard garden
Production Technology: Materiality and light shape the design. Concrete as the primary material, conveys weight and dignity while its smooth surfaces create a clean, harmonious space. A skylight courtyard and meditation garden establish a quiet dialogue between architecture and nature. Glass curtain walls guide daylight into the interior, forming a sacred, serene atmosphere. As light moves through the vertical spaces, it brings a continuous sense of ceremony and spiritual tension.
Design Challenge: The project faced the challenge of balancing spiritual, social, and cultural needs after wildfire loss. Internally, it required understanding Altadena’s history, community trauma, and collective memory. Externally, constraints included building codes, material limits, daylighting technology, and construction feasibility. Overcoming these involved iterative modeling, community feedback, and innovative use of concrete and glass to create a resilient, meaningful, and functional design.
Research: Type of Research: Applied architectural and social research. Objectives: Explore architecture’s role in post-wildfire community renewal. Methodology: Community engagement, iterative modeling. Tools: Site analysis, surveys, models, 3D simulations. Participants: Residents, church leaders, community groups. Results and Insights: Mountain-inspired forms, light, and open spaces foster spiritual and social connection. Impact: Strengthens cohesion, cultural life, and human-centered design practices.
Inspiration: The design was inspired by Altadena’s post-wildfire recovery and the site’s mountainous landscape. I studied topography, light behavior, and community rebuilding models to shape a form that abstracts surrounding ridges into a vertical, light-filled sanctuary. Research into trauma-informed spaces and passive daylighting informed the atrium, courtyard, and concrete massing, creating a resilient structure that fosters healing, unity, and spiritual renewal.
Project Duration: The project started in August 2025 and was completed in December 2025
Operation Flow: This project operates through spatial flow and light manipulation. Its atrium and skylights transform daylight into dynamic patterns, guiding movement and fostering contemplation. Interaction occurs as visitors move between worship, community, and meditation spaces, experiencing shifts in scale, light, and material. Key frames include entrance, atrium, courtyard, and sanctuary. By harmonizing architecture, light, and landscape, it enhances spiritual and social engagement.
Team Members: Zehua Zhang