Press Release
ZT Series Residential Air Conditioner by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Is Granted the Golden A' Design Award in Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Products Design
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of MHI Thermal Systems honored for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning products design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 15, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that ZT Series Residential Air Conditioner by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of MHI Thermal Systems, designed for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, Ltd., has been granted the Golden A' Design Award in the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Products Design category. The award was conferred within the 2025 - 2026 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 scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
About the Golden A' Design Award
The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.
More About ZT Series Residential Air Conditioner
The wall mounted residential air conditioner blends elegant design with advanced engineering. It features a soft, veil like front panel that flows smoothly from the top. Refined edge lines and smooth surfaces contribute to a discreet, seamless appearance with hidden screws and a box like form that blends naturally into its surroundings. Despite its compact size, the unit delivers powerful performance. The fan uses aerodynamic technology to generate strong airflow while maintaining low noise.
About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI)
As a member of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group, we aim to realize a sustainable society by laying down a corporate philosophy to "provide innovative solutions to the air-conditioning and refrigeration issues of countries around the world, and ensuring the greater enrichment of people's lives" and "prioritize fairness and honesty in business to remain a company that is trusted by society." We will provide products and services to customers based on this philosophy.
About MHI Thermal Systems
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, Ltd was established as a separate company within Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group taking over the air-conditioning and refrigeration business.Our company began as a manufacturer dedicated to air-conditio
Award Record
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of MHI Thermal Systems is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Products Design Award
The A' HVAC Design Award is an international industrial design competition recognizing good design in the fields of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to HVAC system designers, industrial designers, HVAC brands and HVAC manufacturers from all countries. Typical entries include furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, air conditioners, ventilators and thermostats. The awarded hvac designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/hvac
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is 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. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously 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. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which 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, uploading a work and receiving a 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. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/177241
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/177241
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!177241
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/358716
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.mhi-mth.co.jp/en/
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
- ZT Series Residential Air Conditioner
- Function
- Residential Air Conditioner
- Category
- Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Products Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Manufacturing, Electronics & Appliances and Architecture
- Colors
- White Smoke, Dark Gray, Light Gray, Gainsboro and Silver
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, Ltd.
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI)
- Country
- Japan
- Brand
- MHI Thermal Systems
- Recognition
- Golden A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #177241
Credits
- Image Credits
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems, Ltd.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The wall-mounted residential air-conditioner blends elegant design with advanced engineering. It features a soft veil-like front panel that flows smoothly from the top. Refined edge lines and smooth surfaces contribute to a discreet, seamless appearance with hidden screws and a box-like form that blends naturally into its surroundings. Despite its compact size, the unit delivers powerful performance. The fan uses aerodynamic technology to generate strong airflow while maintaining low noise.
- Inspiration
- The unit was designed to blend naturally into living spaces without being obstructive. Thanks to improvements in the components, its seasonal efficiency has been enhanced. It can also continue heating even when the outdoor temperature drops to -20°C. To enhance practicality, we worked closely with installers, resulting in easily removable panels for pipe routing and a detachable fan, making maintenance simpler and the design visually clean.
- Research
- We also went beyond technical comparison by engaging in direct conversations with professional installers—the people who work closely with both customers and the product in real-world conditions. This field-based approach helped us understand actual needs during installation and daily use. As a result, we were able to shape the design to be more practical, user-friendly, and effective, while still maintaining high technical performance and a clean, modern appearance.
- Challenge
- One of the key challenges in development was to create a high-density design that balances a compact size with easy servicing and efficient manufacturing. The overall unit size was kept the same as existing models to ensure compatibility with current installation spaces, which are often limited in the field. At the same time, we reserved space inside the unit for optional parts, while still managing to improve performance and reduce noise in the remaining space.
- Realization and Technology
- The unit is designed in Japan and manufactured at our factory in Thailand. The compressor is produced using abrasive machining with micron-level precision, and the copper heat exchanger is assembled using expert welding techniques. The unit is tested to ensure it is validated for around 10 years under various environmental conditions. In mass production, every single unit is tested for both cooling and heating functions, and test results are thoroughly recorded for consistent quality control.
- Operation and Interaction
- The unit is highly energy-efficient and silent, with a sound pressure level as low as 19 dB(A) in ultra-low mode—equivalent to the sound of rustling leaves. The newly developed fan contributes to this silence. For user convenience, the unit can be operated using a dedicated smartphone app. The system features three separate motors to independently control both the vertical and horizontal louvers, allowing precise airflow direction. To improve indoor air quality, the unit is equipped with an original "Allergen Clear Filter," and in some models, an ion generator is also included.
- Project Duration and Location
- The unit was developed over several years. We gathered feedback of unit design from various countries, including input from people in sales, installation, service and marketing roles. The most important requests were carefully selected and integrated into the final product design. During development, prototypes were created in multiple stages, and performance and quality were checked at each step to make sure the product would be reliable and durable.
- Specifications
- Indoor unit dimensions (H×W×D): 290 × 870 × 230 mm
- Keywords
- residential air-conditioning, climate-solution, low global warming potential, longevity
