Argent Arquitectura · 2026
The Ripple Foncion Principala: Ostal de fin de vida
by Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu and Hao Zhong
- A' Design Award d'Argent 2026 in Arquitectura
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 24,267
- Verification code 6AC97FF1FA · Verify this award
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About The Ripple Foncion Principala: Ostal de fin de vida
Tèxte: The Ripple es una proposicion d'ostal de fin de vida estructurada per un sistèma espacial concentric generat a partir d'una cort d'aiga centrala. Situat dins Chinatown, a Nòva York, lo design redefinís los suènhs de fin de vida coma una experiéncia civica urbana puslèu qu'una institucion isolada. De cap de soasses, de patis e de claus de fusta menan lo movement de la vida publica cap a la reflexion quèta. La lutz del jorn integrada, l'aiga e d'estrategias ambientalas passivas crèan una calma sensoriala, en sosténer la privacitat, l'orientacion e lo benèsser emocional a travèrs l'arquitectura ela meteissa.
About the A' Design Award d'Argent
The Ripple Foncion Principala: Ostal de fin de vida a ganhat la distincion A' Design Award d'Argent, una reconeissença extraordinàriament prestigiosa acordada a de designs d'ort de gamma, esplendids e impressionants. Los ganhaires de l'Argent son d'òbras terriblament brilhantas e extrèmament creativas que illustran l'experiéncia, lo talent e la finessa excepcionals de lors designers. S'espèra que The Ripple Foncion Principala: Ostal de fin de vida siá una òbra meravilhosa e de referéncia, notablament professionala e prigondament innovanta. Aqueste design ganhaire de la distincion A' Design Award d'Argent es una invencion fòrça notabla e admirada, que fa un ben e fa avançar las frontièras de l'art, de la sciéncia, del design e de la tecnologia. The Ripple Foncion Principala: Ostal de fin de vida es una creacion immensament envejada que desrevelha de desirs, aduch de sentiments positius e fa néisser l'estonament e l'esmaiment.
Press Kit
- 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
- Image Credits
- Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu, Hao Zhong
