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Framed Sanctuary ᱠᱚᱢ ᱥᱟᱡᱟᱣ ᱛᱟᱦᱮᱸᱱ ᱵᱷᱤᱛᱨᱤ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ by Chien Hao Tseng

Framed Sanctuary ᱠᱚᱢ ᱥᱟᱡᱟᱣ ᱛᱟᱦᱮᱸᱱ ᱵᱷᱤᱛᱨᱤ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ by Chien Hao Tseng is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ in ᱵᱷᱤᱛᱨᱤ ᱡᱟᱭᱜᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱨᱚᱫᱟᱨᱥᱚᱱᱤ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ Competition Category.


ᱠᱟᱥᱟᱵᱷᱤᱛᱨᱤ· 2025

Framed Sanctuary ᱠᱚᱢ ᱥᱟᱡᱟᱣ ᱛᱟᱦᱮᱸᱱ ᱵᱷᱤᱛᱨᱤ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ

by Chien Hao Tseng

Client: CHT Architect and Partidesign Studio

A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ Winner in ᱵᱷᱤᱛᱨᱤ Category

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The Design

About Framed Sanctuary ᱠᱚᱢ ᱥᱟᱡᱟᱣ ᱛᱟᱦᱮᱸᱱ ᱵᱷᱤᱛᱨᱤ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ

ᱯᱷᱨᱮᱢᱰ ᱥᱟᱸᱠᱪᱩᱣᱟᱨᱤ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱠᱚᱢ ᱥᱟᱡᱟᱣ ᱵᱷᱤᱛᱨᱤ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱔᱐ ᱥᱮᱨᱢᱟ ᱥᱮᱫᱟᱭ ᱚᱲᱟᱜ ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱥᱟᱸᱛᱤ, ᱯᱨᱚᱛᱤᱪᱷᱚᱵᱤ ᱛᱟᱦᱮᱸᱱ ᱡᱟᱜᱟ ᱨᱮ ᱵᱚᱫᱚᱞ ᱮᱫᱟᱭ᱾ ᱑.᱕ ᱥᱮᱱᱴᱤᱢᱤᱴᱚᱨ ᱤᱥᱯᱟᱛ ᱯᱷᱨᱮᱢ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱷᱤᱛᱤ ᱵᱤᱱᱩ ᱡᱟᱜᱟ ᱨᱤᱱᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟᱱᱟ ᱪᱤᱱᱦᱟᱹᱣ ᱮᱫᱟᱭ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱢᱟᱨᱥᱟᱞ ᱟᱨ ᱦᱚᱭ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱟᱹᱜᱩᱱ ᱛᱮ ᱞᱤᱸᱡᱤᱱ ᱫᱤᱭᱟᱹᱭ᱾ ᱠᱚᱸᱠᱨᱤᱴ, ᱠᱟᱴ ᱟᱨ ᱢᱚᱱᱚᱠᱨᱚᱢ ᱨᱚᱝ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱟᱢᱟᱱ ᱵᱷᱮᱜᱟᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱚᱸᱫᱚᱨ ᱜᱚᱦᱤᱨᱛᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱮᱫᱟᱭ᱾ ᱱᱟᱶᱟ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱞᱮᱭᱟᱣᱩᱴ ᱫᱚ ᱫᱤᱱᱟᱹᱢ ᱢᱟᱨᱥᱟᱞ ᱧᱟᱢ, ᱥᱚᱧᱪᱚᱨᱚᱬ ᱟᱨ ᱡᱟᱜᱟ ᱨᱤᱱᱟᱜ ᱥᱟᱯᱷᱟ ᱥᱩᱫᱷᱨᱟᱹᱣ ᱮᱫᱟᱭ, ᱯᱷᱨᱮᱢᱰ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱟᱨ ᱢᱟᱹᱦᱤᱛ ᱨᱤᱛᱤ ᱨᱤᱣᱟᱡᱽ ᱪᱮᱛᱟᱱ ᱨᱮ ᱫᱷᱮᱭᱟᱱ ᱥᱟᱶ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱯᱨᱚᱡᱮᱠᱴ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱤᱱᱤᱭᱟᱹᱥ, ᱥᱩᱱᱭᱚᱛᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱢᱟᱨᱥᱟᱞ ᱪᱮᱛᱟᱱ ᱨᱮ ᱜᱚᱨᱚᱡᱽ ᱮᱢᱟᱭ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱜᱷᱚᱱ ᱥᱚᱦᱚᱨᱤ ᱡᱟᱜᱟ ᱨᱮ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱪᱚᱩᱯ ᱢᱩᱫᱟᱹ ᱡᱚᱲᱟᱣᱟᱜ ᱢᱟᱦᱚᱞ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱮᱫᱟᱭ᱾

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ

Framed Sanctuary ᱠᱚᱢ ᱥᱟᱡᱟᱣ ᱛᱟᱦᱮᱸᱱ ᱵᱷᱤᱛᱨᱤ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ 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᱾ Framed Sanctuary ᱠᱚᱢ ᱥᱟᱡᱟᱣ ᱛᱟᱦᱮᱸᱱ ᱵᱷᱤᱛᱨᱤ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ 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
This project reimagines a 40 year old apartment into a minimalist sanctuary. Monochrome materials black steel, concrete, and oak are integrated with precision, forming spaces that feel both structured and calm. Light flows through reconfigured openings, enhancing spatial clarity and emotional comfort. Without traditional partitions, the home invites reflection, reading and peaceful daily living through considered composition and material warmth.
Dimensions & Packaging
The interior space covers 110 square meters. Key materials include 1.5 cm square steel frames, brushed concrete surfaces, oak wood flooring, and fluted tiles. The lightweight metal frame system is securely wall mounted and engineered to support heavy objects while maintaining a minimal visual presence.
Tags
Minimalist Interior, Adaptive Reuse, Steel Frame, Urban Apartment, Spatial Framing, Modern Zen, Monochrome Design, Daylight Optimization, Concrete and Wood, Taipei
Production Technology
The project required precise engineering to integrate steel, concrete, and wood with seamless connections. A 1.5 cm steel frame was custom fabricated to be lightweight yet load bearing. Wall integration, anchoring systems, and surface junctions were resolved through prototyping and testing. The outcome is a structure that supports both aesthetic clarity and technical reliability within a minimalist framework.
Design Challenge
The greatest challenge was integrating ultra-slim 1.5 cm steel frames that are both visually light and structurally strong. Achieving seamless connections between materials metal, concrete and wood required extensive prototyping. The project also overcame challenges in optimizing daylight within a poorly lit 40 year old layout, requiring total spatial reconfiguration under government renovation regulations.
Research
This design is based on applied design research aiming to transform old apartment layouts for modern minimalist living. Qualitative research included spatial behavior studies and lighting simulations. Physical prototypes and material stress tests were conducted to refine the metal framework. The result is a structurally optimized and visually calm environment, which promotes both spatial clarity and emotional well being. The research contributes to adaptive reuse practices in urban housing design.
Inspiration
Inspired by the Japanese concept of Ma, this project explores the balance between structure, emptiness, and light. Natural light becomes a compositional element, casting shifting shadows across raw concrete and warm wood. A 1.5 cm metal frame defines spatial boundaries without walls, while material transitions emphasize quiet beauty. The result is a spatial sanctuary where simplicity supports reflection and everyday rituals.
Project Duration
The project began in November 2023 in Taipei, Taiwan, and was completed in July 2024 after eight months of structural redesign and interior construction.
Operation Flow
Residents move freely through the open plan living, kitchen, and reading areas. The space naturally guides the user through light, texture, and material transitions. Custom built elements such as the metal frames and furniture are positioned to define function zones without physical barriers, encouraging fluid, intuitive interaction.
Patents
Copyrights belong to CHT Architect and Partidesign Studio, 2024.
Team Members
Architect: Chien Hao Tseng
Creative Director: Tzu Yu Liu
Image Credits
Image #1: Architect / Photographer Chien Hao Tseng, Framed Sanctuary, 2024.
Image #2: Architect / Photographer Chien Hao Tseng, Framed Sanctuary, 2024.
Image #3: Architect / Photographer Chien Hao Tseng, Framed Sanctuary, 2024.
Image #4: Architect / Photographer Chien Hao Tseng, Framed Sanctuary, 2024.
Image #5: Architect / Photographer Chien Hao Tseng, Framed Sanctuary, 2024.

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