Press Release
Yanci Chen and Jing Chen Is Honored with the A' Design Award for Slient Currents Memorial and Ecological Restoration in Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design
Yanci Chen and Jing Chen honored for sustainable products, projects and green design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the A' Design Award in the Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design category for Slient Currents Memorial and Ecological Restoration by Yanci Chen and Jing Chen, designed for Ycj Studio. The recognition forms part of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the A' Design Award
The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.
Regarding Slient Currents Memorial and Ecological Restoration
Silent Currents is a memorial and marine restoration project that transforms a former nuclear test site into a marine sanctuary. Artificial reef structures are made of marine grade concrete infused with calcium carbonate to support coral growth and biodiversity. Submerged pathways and floating observation platforms allow visitors to view the recovering ecosystem. Tidal energy generators supply power for the site. The design connects remembrance of the past with long term ecological renewal.
About Yanci Chen and Jing Chen
Yanci Chen is an architect and designer whose work explores the intersection of architecture, ecology, and cultural narratives. She is a Technical Designer at Gensler Seattle. Her experience spans workspace, science, cultural, and public projects with a focus on adaptive reuse, spatial storytelling, and digital methodologies. Chen’s work has been recognized in international exhibitions and design competitions, and she regularly contributes to the field as a juror, mentor, and advocate for inclusive, environmentally responsive design.
Award Record
Yanci Chen and Jing Chen is a winner of 4 A' Design Awards, including this recognition. All of the awards belong to the 2024 - 2025 edition of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design Award
The A' Sustainable Product Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good sustainable products by leading designers and brands worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to sustainable product designers, green product manufacturers, eco-friendly product brands and industrial designers from all countries. Entries typically include sustainable projects, environment friendly designs, recycled, upcycled and bio-degradable products. Awarded sustainable product designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/sustainable-product
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/170460
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/170460
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!170460
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/351060
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Slient Currents Memorial and Ecological Restoration
- Function
- Memorial and Ecological Restoration
- Category
- Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Sustainability
- Colors
- Teal, Steel Blue and Dark Slate Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Ycj Studio
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Yanci Chen and Jing Chen
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #170460
Credits
- Team
- Yanci Chen, Jing Chen
- Image Credits
- Yanci Chen, Jing Chen
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Silent Currents is a memorial and ecological restoration project that transforms a former nuclear test site into a thriving marine sanctuary. The design fosters reef regeneration through artificial reef structures made from eco-friendly marine concrete, accelerating coral growth. Submerged pathways and floating observation points allow visitors to witness marine revival, while integrated tidal energy systems symbolize a transition to sustainable coexistence, merging memory with renewal.
- Inspiration
- Silent Currents is inspired by the devastating impact of nuclear testing on marine ecosystems and the urgent need for ecological restoration. The project reimagines a test site as a marine sanctuary, blending memorialization with environmental renewal. Drawing from research on coral rehabilitation, artificial reef technology, and tidal energy, it introduces submerged structures that support biodiversity while serving as a living monument to resilience and transformation.
- Research
- Silent Currents is based on environmental and architectural research exploring post-nuclear site restoration. The objective was to rebuild marine ecosystems while creating a meaningful memorial. Methods included marine biology studies, site mapping, and material testing for reef structures. Data from oceanographers, ecologists, and engineers informed the design. Findings show artificial reefs accelerate biodiversity recovery, influencing sustainable restoration strategies and conservation policies.
- Challenge
- The biggest challenge in Silent Currents was transforming a contaminated nuclear test site into a thriving marine sanctuary. Internally, the design had to balance memorialization and ecological regeneration while respecting the site's tragic history. Externally, obstacles included data limitations on long-term radiation effects, marine ecosystem recovery rates, and legal restrictions on site intervention. Overcoming these required interdisciplinary research and innovative material solutions.
- Realization and Technology
- Silent Currents employs marine-grade concrete infused with calcium carbonate to accelerate coral growth and restore marine biodiversity. 3D-printed reef structures optimize surface texture for marine life attachment, while submerged pathways and floating observation decks use recycled polymers and corrosion-resistant alloys. Tidal energy generators harness ocean currents for sustainable power, ensuring a self-sustaining, low-impact intervention that merges ecological restoration with memorialization.
- Operation and Interaction
- Silent Currents invites visitors to experience marine restoration firsthand through floating observation decks and submerged pathways that offer a close view of regenerating ecosystems. Over time, the artificial reef structures become thriving habitats, transforming a once-devastated site into a sanctuary for marine life. The integration of tidal energy systems ensures sustainability, making the site both a memorial and a living example of environmental renewal.
- Project Duration and Location
- Feburary 2025 Pacific Ocean
- Specifications
- Silent Currents spans a 5,000m² marine restoration zone, with artificial reef structures ranging from 2,000mm to 5,000mm in height to support diverse marine habitats. Submerged pathways extend 1,500mm wide, allowing controlled visitor access. Floating observation platforms measure 10,000mm in diameter, integrating tidal energy systems. The site is designed for gradual ecological adaptation, ensuring long-term biodiversity and marine life regeneration.
- Keywords
- marine restoration, artificial reef, tidal energy, ecological memorial, coral regeneration, underwater architecture, sustainable design, nuclear test site transformation, biodiversity conservation, submerged pathways
