City on the Loop Ikoreshwa Rivanze by Ruxuan Zheng

City on the Loop Ikoreshwa Rivanze by Ruxuan Zheng is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Ifeza in Gutegura Umujyi Competition Category.

IfezaGutegura Umujyi· 2026

City on the Loop Ikoreshwa Rivanze

by Ruxuan Zheng

Client: Ruxuan Zheng

Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Ifeza Winner in Gutegura Umujyi Category

21,170
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #176557

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About City on the Loop Ikoreshwa Rivanze

City on the Loop igarura mu buryo bushya inkombe y'inyanja ikunze kwibasirwa n'imyuzure i Brooklyn nk'urubibi rw'umujyi rukomeza rwihuza n'izamuka ry'amazi y'inyanja. Yubatswe hejuru y'ibikorwa remezo bisanzweho, iyi gahunda izana amazu yubatswe hejuru, gari ya moshi yoroheje, na gahunda rusange zihangana n'imyuzure mu byiciro bitatu. Uburyo bw'ihuzabutaka n'inyanja busimbura imbibi zikomeye, butuma ubwubatsi, urusobe rw'ibinyabuzima, n'ubuzima bw'abaturage bishobora gukorana. Iyi loop ikora nk'imiterere y'ahantu ndetse na sisitemu yihuza n'ibihe, ihinduka hamwe n'impinduka z'ibidukikije kandi itanga urufatiro rw'imiyoborere y'ejo hazaza ifite ubwenge kandi yita ku ihindagurika ry'ikirere.

The Recognition

About the Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Ifeza

City on the Loop Ikoreshwa Rivanze ni uwegukanye Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Ifeza, ishimwe ridasanzwe ry'agaciro gakomeye ritangwa ku bishushanyo byo ku rwego rwo hejuru, byiza kandi bikora ku mutima. Abegukanye Ifeza ni ibihangano by'ubuhanga bukomeye kandi bifite guhanga kwinshi, bigaragaza ubuhanga bwimbitse, impano n'ubushishozi bw'ababihanze. City on the Loop Ikoreshwa Rivanze biteganyijwe ko izaba igihangano cy'icyitegererezo, gifite ubunyamwuga bukomeye n'udushya twimbitse. Iki gishushanyo cyegukanye Ifeza ni igihangano kizwi kandi gishimwa, gifasha kugura imbibi z'ubuhanzi, ubumenyi, ubushushanyo n'ikoranabuhanga. City on the Loop Ikoreshwa Rivanze ni igihangano benshi bifuza, gikangura ibyifuzo, gitanga amarangamutima meza kandi gitera igitangaza.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: City on the Loop reimagines Canarsie Pier as a dynamic coastal system that adapts to rising sea levels. Through a phased loop structure built along a land–sea gradient, the project integrates housing, infrastructure, and ecology into a resilient urban edge. It transforms the shoreline from a barrier into a platform for coexistence, with future potential for AI-assisted adaptation and growth.
Dimensions & Packaging: The design was developed through phased urban modeling, sectional prototyping, and spatial iteration to explore adaptive growth along coastal gradients. Ecological, social, and infrastructural systems were layered using loop-based logic, allowing the project to evolve as both a physical structure and a future-responsive framework.
Tags: Architecture; Urban Design; Coastal Resilience; Housing; Ecological Systems; New York City
Production Technology: This design was developed through iterative digital modeling, combining GIS mapping, ecological data, and layered analysis of coastal conditions. Renderings and animations were produced using 3D visualization tools to simulate the gradient between land and sea. The process emphasized feedback loops—testing urban form against resilience, housing demand, and public accessibility.
Design Challenge: The hardest part was reconciling ecological resilience with urban density. Historically, the site has been cut off by the Belt Parkway; socially, the community faces limited waterfront access. Externally, sea-level projections and flood laws required strict compliance, while production constraints limited material choices. Information gaps on long-term climate data challenged our modeling. Overcoming these, we created a looped edge that balances housing, ecology, and public life.
Research: This is applied design research aimed at rethinking coastal urban edges. The objective was to create housing integrated with resilient infrastructure. Methodology combined GIS mapping, site surveys, 3D simulations, and projected sea-level rise and flood data. Results show a looped edge that strengthens housing, ecology, and access. Insights suggest design can influence real estate, community life, and climate adaptation.
Inspiration: Inspired by the contradictions of the Belt Parkway—both connective and divisive—this project explores how infrastructure can shift from separation to integration. It draws from tidal landscapes, looped mobility, and phased urbanism to envision a future where architecture mediates between ecological forces, human needs, and evolving coastlines.
Project Duration: The project started in September 2019 in New York as an academic studio research in Syracuse University. It has been continuously refined and expanded through independent work until June 2025, when it was exhibited at the UTOPIA exhibition.
Operation Flow: The design works like a continuous walkway that rises above the highway and bends along the shoreline. As people move through it, the structure shifts from housing to public spaces to green wetlands. Key moments include crossing the elevated loop, stepping down to the water, and meeting open plazas. By blending living, nature, and access, it turns a barrier into a shared edge, making the coast safer, more open, and more resilient for everyday use.
Team Members: Ruxuan Zheng