Resurgence Iñiy wasi by Zehua Zhang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Burunsi Premiu in Wasichiy Kamay Competition Category.

BurunsiWasichiy· 2026

Resurgence Iñiy wasi

by Zehua Zhang

Client: Zehua Zhang

A' Design Award Burunsi Premiu Winner in Wasichiy Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #180908

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Resurgence Iñiy wasi

Resurgence nisqaqa Altadena llaqtapi musuq iñiy wasim, nina qhapariy chaymanta wakmanta hatarichiy munaykunaman kutichispa. Kay ruwayqa muyuriq orqokunata rikuchin sayaq, llaqllasqa rikch'aykunawan. Concreto, qispi, chaymanta yarphay patiokunam ukhu pachakunata t'aqan, p'unchaw k'anchayta apamuspa hinaspa thak kawsay pachakunata paqarichispa. Kay proyektoqa iñiy pachakunatam ayllupa apaykunanwan huñun, iñiy ruwaykunapaqpas ayllu tinkunapaqpas pachakunata quspa. Llaqta kawsayta rikuchin, chaywanpas tukuy laya ayllu ruwaykunata chaskin.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Burunsi Premiu

Resurgence Iñiy wasi A' Design Award Burunsi Premiu mishak kan, jatun yupaychay, kayta mana shuk shina, mushuk yuyaypi, yuyaypi shinallatak chaskik kaypi riksishka diseñukunaman kun. Burunsi mishak kashkakunaka ruray ushayta charik shinallatak mancharina mushuk rurashkakunami, paykunata rurakkunapak achka yachayta, yuyayta shinallatak ruray ushayta rikuchinku. Resurgence Iñiy wasi sinchi yupaychashka, kuyashka shinallatak riksishka shuk ruray kanata munanku, ruray yuyaywan shinallatak mushuk yuyaywan. Kay Burunsi Premiu japishka diseñuka arti, siensia, diseñu shinallatak tekinolojíapi ashtawan alli ruraykunata tantachin shinallatak ima ukumanta rikuypi sumak kan. Resurgence Iñiy wasi mañaykunata alli paktachin, munaykunata llankan, shunkuta kuyachin shinallatak yachayta munayta kallarichin.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Resurgence is a contemporary church in Altadena, conceived as a spiritual and cultural catalyst after the wildfire. Inspired by surrounding mountain ridges, its sculpted concrete form rises vertically toward light-filled skylights, expressing renewal. A skylight atrium and courtyard weave nature, light, and community together, uniting sacred worship and civic life in a resilient beacon of collective healing and hope.
Dimensions & Packaging: Single story building with overall dimensions of 45 meters in width, 45 meters in depth, and 18 meters in height.
Tags: Community renewal, cultural architecture, fluid form, concrete and light interplay, atrium with skylight, courtyard garden
Production Technology: Materiality and light shape the design. Concrete as the primary material, conveys weight and dignity while its smooth surfaces create a clean, harmonious space. A skylight courtyard and meditation garden establish a quiet dialogue between architecture and nature. Glass curtain walls guide daylight into the interior, forming a sacred, serene atmosphere. As light moves through the vertical spaces, it brings a continuous sense of ceremony and spiritual tension.
Design Challenge: The project faced the challenge of balancing spiritual, social, and cultural needs after wildfire loss. Internally, it required understanding Altadena’s history, community trauma, and collective memory. Externally, constraints included building codes, material limits, daylighting technology, and construction feasibility. Overcoming these involved iterative modeling, community feedback, and innovative use of concrete and glass to create a resilient, meaningful, and functional design.
Research: Type of Research: Applied architectural and social research. Objectives: Explore architecture’s role in post-wildfire community renewal. Methodology: Community engagement, iterative modeling. Tools: Site analysis, surveys, models, 3D simulations. Participants: Residents, church leaders, community groups. Results and Insights: Mountain-inspired forms, light, and open spaces foster spiritual and social connection. Impact: Strengthens cohesion, cultural life, and human-centered design practices.
Inspiration: The design was inspired by Altadena’s post-wildfire recovery and the site’s mountainous landscape. I studied topography, light behavior, and community rebuilding models to shape a form that abstracts surrounding ridges into a vertical, light-filled sanctuary. Research into trauma-informed spaces and passive daylighting informed the atrium, courtyard, and concrete massing, creating a resilient structure that fosters healing, unity, and spiritual renewal.
Project Duration: The project started in August 2025 and was completed in December 2025
Operation Flow: This project operates through spatial flow and light manipulation. Its atrium and skylights transform daylight into dynamic patterns, guiding movement and fostering contemplation. Interaction occurs as visitors move between worship, community, and meditation spaces, experiencing shifts in scale, light, and material. Key frames include entrance, atrium, courtyard, and sanctuary. By harmonizing architecture, light, and landscape, it enhances spiritual and social engagement.
Team Members: Zehua Zhang