Vernacular Home Primary Function: Nyumba ya Kumidzi by Xinyun Li

Vernacular Home Primary Function: Nyumba ya Kumidzi by Xinyun Li is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award in Zipangizo Zokhalitsa, Mapulojekiti ndi Mapangidwe Obiriwira Competition Category.

ChitsuloChipangizo Chokhalitsa· 2026

Vernacular Home Primary Function: Nyumba ya Kumidzi

by Xinyun Li

Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award Winner in Chipangizo Chokhalitsa Category

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Verified Award Winner

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About Vernacular Home Primary Function: Nyumba ya Kumidzi

Book Text: Nyumba Yachikhalidwe ku Bangladesh idapangidwa pogwiritsa ntchito zinthu za m'derali, monga matope, nsungwi, udzu, ndi njerwa zopangidwa kuchokera ku dothi la m'derali. Poyankha ku nyengo yotentha komanso mvula yayitali, ili ndi denga lolimba, khonde lokwera, ndi mpweya wodutsa woziziritsa mwachilengedwe. Mabowo pamakoma oyang'anizana ndi mphepo komanso otsata mphepo amatulutsa kutentha, pomwe malo opanda kanthu pakati pa njerwa ziwiri amateteza kutentha. Miphika yadothi yoyikidwa m'khoma la nyumba ya tiyi imaziziritsa mpweya. Pogwiritsa ntchito mabotolo a lita odzaza ndi kuwala kumkati, nyumbayi ili ndi zipinda zogona, khitchini, chimbudzi, khola la ng'ombe, ndi nyumba ya tiyi yokhala ndi malo ogulitsira zinthu othandiza njira yawo yopezera ndalama pomwe akuonetsetsa kuti pali chinsinsi.

The Recognition

About the Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award

Vernacular Home Primary Function: Nyumba ya Kumidzi ndi mmodzi mwa opambana a Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award, kuzindikirika kolemekezeka komwe kumaperekedwa kwa mapangidwe abwino omwe amakwaniritsa zofunika za akatswiri ndi za makampani zomwe zimayembekezeka kuchokera ku zolengedwa zopangidwa bwino. Opambana a Chitsulo amaonetsa luso lalikulu, ukatswiri wapamwamba, kumvetsetsa kwa akatswiri ndi mphamvu yolenga ya opanga awo. Vernacular Home Primary Function: Nyumba ya Kumidzi akuyembekezeka kukhala cholengedwa choyamikiridwa kwambiri, chosirira ndi chokondedwa chomwe ndi chothandiza ndi chatsopano. Mapangidwe opambana Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award awa amaphatikiza machitidwe abwino kwambiri a makampani ndipo ali ndi makhalidwe a ukadaulo oyenerera olumikizidwa ndi chidziwitso ndi luso. Vernacular Home Primary Function: Nyumba ya Kumidzi amalemekezedwa chifukwa cha kusamala kwake ndipo anapangidwa kuti apereke kukonza kwa moyo kumene kumathandiza kusandutsa dziko kukhala malo abwino.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The Vernacular Home in Modonpur, Bangladesh, is a sustainable house built with local materials like mud, straw, bamboo, bricks, and tin sheets. Designed for a family of four, it supports living, working, and livelihood. It responds to the hot, rainy climate with a raised veranda, steep roof, and cross-ventilation strategies in the facade design. Clay pots on the wall cool the tea house, while 'liter bottles of light' brighten interiors, showing a low-cost, low-impact design philosophy.
Dimensions & Packaging: tin sheet: 2' width * 8' length
Brick: 9 5/8" length* 4 5/8" height * 3" depth
Pottery: large opening is 5" R, and the small side opening is 1.5" R
The mud wall is 10" thick
Bamboo: 1.5" R
Tags: sustainability, vernacular home, rural, house, traditional building, local materials, climate
Production Technology: Bangladesh's locally made bricks and tin sheets.
Natural straw, mud, pottery, and bamboo.
The brick and the tin sheets are standard sizes and are manufactured in the local factories.
Traditional handmade mud and the way of polishing.
The potteries on the mud walls are smaller than the local typical size, which were made in the neighboring village.
The way of tying the straw is their vernacular type.
Design Challenge: Use the vernacular materials and design the buildings to face the local climate to make the microclimate more comfortable. Control the building budget and labor cost under 2500 USD.
Research: Two weeks were spent in the village to become familiar with local materials and to study traditional mud construction techniques as well as straw-tying methods. During this period, I also researched the climate of Para Dash and analyzed the vernacular architectural language, considering how new strategies could be integrated into the design to improve the microclimate. The needs and expectations of the local residents were carefully documented and incorporated into the final design.
Inspiration: This project explores the social responsibility of architects. Despite rapid technological advancements, many regions around the world remain underdeveloped. People in these areas are more directly exposed to natural conditions, yet they also have the right to live a better life. As architects, we should not only make better use of locally available materials but also respond to the most immediate needs of these communities by designing housing that is practical and suitable for widespread use.
Project Duration: It is designed in Modonpur, Bangladesh, a very natural village called Dash Para. The design phase lasted 4 months. It is a concept design.
Operation Flow: Given the hot climate in Bangladesh and long monsoon season, the design addresses thermal comfort and climate responsiveness through spatial layout, façade design, and roof form. A raised veranda protects against flooding, and steeply pitched roofs ensure efficient rainwater runoff. Rooms are arranged for optimal cross-ventilation, with varying window heights on windward and leeward sides to expel heat. On the tea house façade, locally made clay pots from a neighboring village are inserted into the mud wall to help cool the air by compressing airflow, enhancing microclimate comfort.
Image Credits: Image #1: Xinyun Li
Image #2: Xinyun Li
Image #3: Xinyun Li
Image #4: Xinyun Li
Image #5: Xinyun Li