Green Island ᱱᱚᱜᱚᱨ ᱵᱤᱡᱽᱞᱤ ᱥᱚᱵᱽᱥᱴᱮᱥᱚᱱ by Xudong Zhu is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ in ᱟᱨᱠᱤᱴᱮᱠᱪᱟᱨ, ᱤᱢᱟᱨᱚᱛ ᱟᱨ ᱜᱟᱲᱚᱱ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ Competition Category.
ᱠᱟᱥᱟᱟᱨᱠᱤᱴᱮᱠᱪᱟᱨ· 2025
Green Island ᱱᱚᱜᱚᱨ ᱵᱤᱡᱽᱞᱤ ᱥᱚᱵᱽᱥᱴᱮᱥᱚᱱ
by Xudong Zhu
Client: T.e.n
A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ Winner in ᱟᱨᱠᱤᱴᱮᱠᱪᱟᱨ Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #166588The Design
About Green Island ᱱᱚᱜᱚᱨ ᱵᱤᱡᱽᱞᱤ ᱥᱚᱵᱽᱥᱴᱮᱥᱚᱱ
ᱵᱤᱡᱽᱞᱤ ᱥᱚᱵᱽᱥᱴᱮᱥᱚᱱ ᱫᱚ ᱴᱤᱠᱟᱹᱣ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱱᱚᱜᱚᱨ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤᱦᱚᱨᱟ ᱫᱚᱦᱚ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱥᱟᱨᱵᱚᱡᱚᱱᱤᱠ ᱵᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟᱹᱫᱤ ᱰᱷᱟᱸᱪᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱱᱟᱶᱟ ᱢᱮᱱᱮᱛ ᱮᱢᱟ ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱵᱟᱨ ᱯᱚᱨᱚᱛ ᱯᱷᱮᱥᱟᱰ ᱨᱮ ᱠᱚᱸᱭᱮᱸ ᱟᱨ ᱥᱟᱢᱟᱝ ᱥᱮᱫ ᱥᱚᱞᱟᱨ ᱯᱮᱱᱮᱞ ᱢᱮᱱᱟᱜᱼᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱫᱚ ᱮᱱᱟᱨᱡᱤ ᱠᱟᱹᱨᱡᱚᱠᱥᱚᱢᱚᱛᱟ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱡᱚᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱠᱤ ᱥᱟᱥᱟᱝ ᱠᱟᱸᱛ ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱨᱚᱯᱚᱲ ᱠᱷᱟᱱᱰᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱮᱛᱚᱢ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱟᱪᱮ ᱥᱮᱫ ᱥᱟᱡᱟᱣ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱾ ᱠᱚᱸᱭᱮᱸ ᱥᱮᱫ ᱯᱷᱮᱥᱟᱰ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱚᱨ ᱯᱨᱚᱫᱩᱥᱚᱱ ᱠᱚᱢ ᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱜᱟᱨ ᱵᱟᱜᱟᱱ ᱨᱮ ᱵᱚᱫᱚᱞ ᱮᱫᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱫᱚ ᱯᱟᱭᱨᱟ ᱦᱚᱲ ᱠᱚᱣᱟᱜ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤᱦᱚᱨᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱥᱟᱶᱛᱟ ᱢᱮᱥᱟ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱫᱟᱣ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨᱟ ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱱᱟᱶᱟ ᱩᱯᱟᱹᱭ ᱫᱚ ᱫᱮᱠᱷᱟᱣ ᱮᱫᱟ ᱡᱮ ᱡᱟᱹᱨᱩᱲᱟᱹᱛᱤ ᱵᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟᱹᱫᱤ ᱰᱷᱟᱸᱪᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱪᱮᱛᱟᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱥᱟᱶᱛᱟᱨᱤ ᱵᱷᱚᱞᱟᱹᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱱᱮᱢ ᱫᱟᱲᱮᱭᱟᱜᱼᱟ ᱾
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ
Green Island ᱱᱚᱜᱚᱨ ᱵᱤᱡᱽᱞᱤ ᱥᱚᱵᱽᱥᱴᱮᱥᱚᱱ ᱫᱚ A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱱᱟᱣᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱛᱮ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱠᱟᱢᱤ ᱡᱷᱟᱞᱠᱟᱣ ᱠᱚ᱾ Green Island ᱱᱚᱜᱚᱨ ᱵᱤᱡᱽᱞᱤ ᱥᱚᱵᱽᱥᱴᱮᱥᱚᱱ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- The power substation uses a double-skin facade to create a “breathing, growing, and energy-storing” Green Island, blending infrastructure with vibrant public space. Solar panels on the south and east maximize energy efficiency, while the north and west feature green walls with planting troughs. The southern facade shields traffic noise and transforms the edge into a lively linear park, connecting neighborhoods and fostering community engagement.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The project is located on a 50,000 mm x 70,000 mm site, with a total building height of 12,000 mm.
- Tags
- Green Island, Public Space, Urban Infrastructure, Ecological Design, Sustainability, Power Substation, Double-skin Facade
- Production Technology
- The design was developed using a research-driven approach, integrating sustainable strategies and advanced modeling techniques. A double-skin facade system was employed, combining solar photovoltaic panels on sun-facing sides for energy efficiency and perforated aluminum panels with planting troughs on shaded facades to foster biodiversity. Parametric design tools optimized the facade's performance, ensuring a balance between functionality, aesthetics, and ecological benefits.
- Design Challenge
- The hardest part was balancing strict regulations with innovative design. Local laws restricted changes to building footprints, limiting structural flexibility. Socially, the challenge was transforming a utilitarian substation into a community asset. Technologically, optimizing the double-skin facade for energy efficiency while supporting dynamic green walls required advanced simulations. Overcoming these obstacles involved integrating research, creativity, and stakeholder collaboration.
- Research
- This applied research aimed to transform infrastructure into vibrant public spaces, focusing on sustainability and urban connectivity. Using sunlight analysis, energy modeling, and environmental simulations, we gathered data with parametric tools. Community feedback and expert insights informed the design. Results showed solar panels enhance energy efficiency, while green walls improve air quality and biodiversity. The project highlights how infrastructure can unite ecological, social, and functional goals.
- Inspiration
- This project was inspired by a desire to blend essential infrastructure with urban vitality. Motivated by the potential to turn functional structures into assets for the city, I aimed to create a sustainable design that balances energy efficiency with ecological and social benefits. Drawing from research in green architecture, the project transforms a passive boundary into an active public space that fosters harmony between nature and the urban environment.
- Project Duration
- The project designed in September 2024 in Shanghai, China.
- Operation Flow
- This project combines energy efficiency and urban vitality by using solar panels on sunlit sides to generate power and adjustable panels that provide shade and shelter for pedestrians. The green walls grow with the seasons, creating a dynamic and eco-friendly facade. The design transforms the space into a welcoming park, reducing noise, improving air quality, and connecting neighborhoods, making it both functional and inviting for the community.
- Image Credits
- All credit to Xudong Zhu
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