In Seclusion Primary Function: Malo Opumulira a M'mphepete mwa Mtsinje by Zehua Zhang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Mphoto ya Bronze ya A' Design Award in Mapangidwe a Nyumba, Zomanga ndi Zomangidwa Competition Category.
BronzeZomangamanga· 2026
In Seclusion Primary Function: Malo Opumulira a M'mphepete mwa Mtsinje
by Zehua Zhang
Client: Zehua Zhang
Mphoto ya Bronze ya A' Design Award Winner in Zomangamanga Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #180620The Design
About In Seclusion Primary Function: Malo Opumulira a M'mphepete mwa Mtsinje
Book Text: Polojekitiyi ndi malo opumulira a m'mphepete mwa mtsinje ku Portugal. Mapangidwewa amayikidwa mkati mwa malo achilengedwe omwe alipo kale ndipo amagwiritsa ntchito mawonekedwe a nyumba osasunthika kuti achepetse kuwonekera. Malo akuluakulu a magalasi amayikidwa kuti aloleze kuwona pakati pa malo amkati ndi chilengedwe choizungulira. Zokongoletsa za matabwa ndi pansi pamwala zimagwiritsidwa ntchito mkati monse. Pulogalamuyi ikuphatikiza sauna, jacuzzi, ndi bafa wa ku Turkey, oyikidwa kuti apange motsatizana kwa malo osamba. Mawonekedwewa amalinganiza ntchitozi mogwirizana ndi mtsinje ndi malo ozungulira.
The Recognition
About the Mphoto ya Bronze ya A' Design Award
In Seclusion Primary Function: Malo Opumulira a M'mphepete mwa Mtsinje ndi mmodzi mwa opambana a Mphoto ya Bronze ya A' Design Award, kuzindikirika kolemekezeka kwambiri komwe kumaperekedwa kwa mapangidwe abwino kwambiri omwe amaonekera ndi luso lolenga, kuchenjera ndi nzeru zakuthwa. Opambana a Bronze ndi zinthu zaluso kwambiri ndi zolenga modabwitsa zomwe zimatsimikizira zochitika zazikulu, kulingalira ndi kuchenjera kwa opanga awo. In Seclusion Primary Function: Malo Opumulira a M'mphepete mwa Mtsinje akuyembekezeka kukhala chinthu choyamikiridwa, chosirira ndi chokondedwa, chaukatswiri wapadera ndi chatsopano. Mapangidwe opambana Mphoto ya Bronze ya A' Design Award awa amaphatikiza machitidwe abwino kwambiri a luso, sayansi, kapangidwe ndi ukadaulo ndipo ndi abwino kwambiri chifukwa cha kusamala kwawo zazing'ono. In Seclusion Primary Function: Malo Opumulira a M'mphepete mwa Mtsinje amakwaniritsa zosowa mokongola, kukhudza zilakolako, kukopa mitima ndi kudzutsa chidwi.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- This is a riverside spa design in Portugal that embodies serene seclusion. It harmonizes fully with its historic and natural surroundings, using low-profile architecture, expansive glass, timber interiors, and stone flooring to blur indoor and outdoor boundaries. Its strengths lie in immersive nature integration, warm materiality, and a layout combining sauna, jacuzzi, and Turkish bath, offering guests a profound, multi-sensory retreat deeply connected to the landscape.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Single-story building with overall dimensions of 20 meters in width, 8 meters in depth, and 8 meters in height.
- Tags
- Landscape architecture, leisure spa, wellness facilities, low-impact design, indoor-outdoor connection, integration with nature, immersive experience
- Production Technology
- The spa was designed through careful site analysis, integrating gently with the terrain. Timber, beige stone, and low-iron glass were chosen for warmth, durability, and transparency. The process combined ecological sensitivity, modular planning for sauna, jacuzzi, and Turkish bath, and precise glazing to enhance visual connections with nature, creating a harmonious, immersive, and sustainable environment.
- Design Challenge
- The hardest part was balancing serenity with practicality—preserving the historic watermill while adding modern spa facilities. Internally, respecting the site’s history and ecology challenged design choices. Externally, strict codes, structural limits, and material availability required adaptation. Technology and environmental analysis guided solutions, ensuring minimal impact while creating a harmonious, immersive experience
- Research
- Type of research: design-focused experiential study. Research objectives: explore how architecture can promote deep relaxation and enhance the human-nature connection. Methodology: combining site analysis, material studies, spatial simulations, and daylight analysis. Data collection: through site photos, topographic drawings, and building equipment specifications. Research tools: cad models, 3d visualizations, material samples, and environmental sensors monitoring light, sound, and water interaction.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration came from the serene beauty of the Vez River and the timeless presence of the old watermill. I was drawn to creating a space that allows people to reconnect with nature and themselves, offering quietude without isolation. My motive was to design a spa that flows with the landscape, using natural materials and transparent architecture to blur boundaries, fostering a profound, immersive experience of calm, reflection, and harmony with the environment.
- Project Duration
- The project started in February 2025 and finished in June 2025
- Operation Flow
- The spa functions through immersive spatial design: guests move through curated areas—pool, sauna, jacuzzi, Turkish bath—experiencing gentle sensory transitions. Interaction arises from visual and tactile engagement with natural materials, light, and water. Key moments occur at floor-to-ceiling glazing, pool edges, and steam-filled interiors. By harmonizing with nature, it deepens relaxation, enhances well-being, and fosters a seamless, restorative human-nature connection.
- Team Members
- Zehua Zhang
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