The Ripple Asa Voalohany: Trano fitsaboana farany by Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu and Hao Zhong

The Ripple Asa Voalohany: Trano fitsaboana farany by Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu and Hao Zhong is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Volafotsy in Famolavolana Maritrano, Trano ary Rafitra Competition Category.

VolafotsyMaritrano· 2026

The Ripple Asa Voalohany: Trano fitsaboana farany

by Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu and Hao Zhong

A' Design Award Volafotsy Winner in Maritrano Category

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Verified Award Winner
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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About The Ripple Asa Voalohany: Trano fitsaboana farany

The Ripple dia tolo-kevitra momba ny trano fitsaboana farany izay voarafitra amin'ny rafitra sehatra mifanitsy izay miainga avy amin'ny tokotany rano afovoany. Hita ao amin'ny Chinatown, any New York City, ny famolavolana dia mamaritra indray ny fikarakarana amin'ny fiafaran'ny fiainana ho toy ny traikefa sivika an-tanàn-dehibe fa tsy andrim-panjakana mitokana. Ireo sosona vavahady, tokotany, ary fefy hazo dia mitarika ny fihetsika avy amin'ny fiainana ho an'ny daholobe mankany amin'ny fisaintsainana mangina. Ny fampidirana ny tara-masoandro, ny rano, ary ny tetika ara-tontolo iainana voajanahary dia miteraka filaminana ara-pahatsapana, manohana ny fiainana manokana, ny fitarihana, ary ny fahasalamana ara-pihetseham-po amin'ny alalan'ny rafitra mihitsy.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Volafotsy

Nandresy ny A' Design Award Volafotsy ny famolavolana The Ripple Asa Voalohany: Trano fitsaboana farany, fankasitrahana malaza be omena ny famolavolana ambaratonga ambony, tsara tarehy ary mahavariana. Ny mpandresy Volafotsy dia asa mamirapiratra dia mamirapiratra ary mamorona dia mamorona izay maneho ny fahaizana, ny talenta ary ny fahamaotinan-tsain'ny mpamolavola azy. Andrasana ho asa mahagaga, ohatra tsara, mahay amin'ny asa ary vaovao amin'ny halalin-tsaina ny famolavolana The Ripple Asa Voalohany: Trano fitsaboana farany. Ity famolavolana nandresy ny A' Design Award Volafotsy ity dia fikarohana miavaka be ary ankafizina izay mahasoa ary mampandroso ny sisintanin'ny zavakanto, ny siansa, ny famolavolana ary ny teknolojia. Ny famolavolana The Ripple Asa Voalohany: Trano fitsaboana farany dia famoronana mahazo fitaka be izay mamaly ny faniriana, mitondra fihetseham-po tsara ary mamelona fahagagana sy fahatalanjonana.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The Ripple reimagines hospice as an urban civic sanctuary structured by a concentric ripple geometry generated from a single water court. Architecture, structure, circulation, and environmental systems align within one continuous spatial logic, integrating hybrid timber construction, passive ventilation, and water reuse. The design transforms end-of-life care into a collective, sensory experience embedded within the life of the city.
Dimensions & Packaging: The project employs a hybrid timber system organized by concentric structural rings. Curved CLT load-bearing wall segments rise from a continuous concrete foundation datum, supporting stepped roof bands with integrated skylights, photovoltaic tiles, and rainwater collection gutters. Environmental systems include stacked passive ventilation, hydronic radiant floor slabs, and on-site water filtration and reuse.
Tags: Hospice, Healthcare Design, Sensory experience, Therapeutic environment,
Production Technology: The project was developed through an integrated design methodology where geometry, structure, and environmental systems evolve from a single concentric datum. Digital modeling and iterative sectional studies guided spatial, daylight, and airflow performance. A hybrid timber system using curved CLT wall segments, cavity assemblies, and a continuous concrete base enables structural clarity while integrating rainwater collection, passive ventilation, and radiant conditioning within one coordinated assembly.
Design Challenge: The primary challenge was reconciling hospice care’s need for privacy and calm with the density and intensity of an urban Chinatown context. Social perceptions of hospice as isolated institutions required rethinking care as civic and accessible. Spatially, integrating sensory comfort, acoustic privacy, and environmental performance within a compact site demanded precise coordination of structure, water systems, and daylight. The project resolves these tensions through a unified geometric and environmental strategy.
Research: Design research combining healthcare design and environmental psychology. Objective: improve patient privacy and emotional comfort in hospice settings. Methodology explored spatial sequencing and sensory design strategies. Experiential scenarios tested water sound as a non-visual privacy buffer.
Inspiration: The Ripple is inspired by the universal image of a water drop generating expanding rings, symbolizing the continuity of life, memory, and collective care. Research into hospice environments, sensory psychology, and traditional courtyard typologies informed a design that replaces institutional isolation with spatial calm, gradual thresholds, and communal presence, integrating cultural reflection with environmental performance.
Project Duration: The project was developed between September 2025 and Janurary 2026 as part of an architectural design competition. The Ripple is located in Chinatown, New York City, where it reimagines hospice care within a dense urban context. The proposal explores how end-of-life care can integrate with everyday civic life through architecture, landscape, and community-oriented programming.
Operation Flow: Movement through Ripple follows expanding concentric rings, guiding visitors from the active city edge toward increasing quiet and intimacy. Thresholds, courtyards, and water elements choreograph gradual emotional transition rather than abrupt separation. Daylight, airflow, and acoustic water features respond passively to occupancy and climate, supporting orientation, privacy, and calm—allowing care to unfold through spatial experience rather than institutional control.
Patents: Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu, Hao Zhong
Team Members: Minghan Lin
Yuchen Qiu
Hao Zhong
Image Credits: Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu, Hao Zhong