Cen Shen and Changsong Li ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ Osmosis ᱴᱩᱨᱤᱥᱴ ᱛᱟᱞᱢᱟ ᱚᱲᱟᱜ ᱫᱚ ᱟᱨᱠᱤᱴᱮᱠᱪᱟᱨ, ᱤᱢᱟᱨᱚᱛ ᱟᱨ ᱜᱟᱲᱚᱱ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱯᱨᱚᱛᱤᱡᱚᱜᱤᱛᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱜ ᱨᱮ 2026 A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱟᱹᱰᱤ ᱢᱟᱱ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱡᱤᱛᱠᱟᱨ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾
ᱠᱟᱥᱟᱟᱨᱠᱤᱴᱮᱠᱪᱟᱨ· 2026
Osmosis ᱴᱩᱨᱤᱥᱴ ᱛᱟᱞᱢᱟ ᱚᱲᱟᱜ
Cen Shen and Changsong Li ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ
ᱜᱟᱦᱟᱠ: Changsong Li & Cen Shen
ᱟᱨᱠᱤᱴᱮᱠᱪᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱜ ᱨᱮ A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱡᱤᱛᱠᱟᱨ
ᱡᱟᱸᱪ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱮᱣᱟᱨᱰ ᱡᱤᱛᱠᱟᱨ
#182593 ᱞᱟᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱣᱟᱨᱰ ᱦᱟᱞᱚᱛ ᱡᱟᱸᱪᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ
Osmosis ᱴᱩᱨᱤᱥᱴ ᱛᱟᱞᱢᱟ ᱚᱲᱟᱜ ᱵᱟᱵᱚᱛ ᱛᱮ
ᱚᱥᱢᱚᱥᱤᱥ ᱫᱚ ᱮᱞ ᱯᱟᱥᱚ, ᱴᱮᱠᱥᱟᱥ ᱨᱮ ᱢᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱢᱤᱫᱴᱟᱝ ᱴᱩᱨᱤᱥᱴ ᱟᱨ ᱥᱮᱪᱮᱫ ᱛᱟᱞᱢᱟ ᱚᱲᱟᱜ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱫᱚ ᱨᱚᱦᱚᱲ ᱴᱚᱴᱦᱟ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱨᱚᱦᱚᱲ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱯᱩᱠᱷᱨᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱡᱤᱭᱚᱢᱮᱴᱨᱤ ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱩᱭᱦᱟᱹᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱚᱨᱜᱟᱱᱤᱠ ᱪᱮᱛᱟᱱ ᱦᱚᱴᱚᱜ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱨᱩᱞᱰ ᱠᱚᱱᱤᱠᱟᱞ ᱡᱤᱭᱚᱢᱮᱴᱨᱤ ᱨᱮ ᱵᱚᱫᱚᱞ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱛᱮ ᱫᱩᱞᱟᱹᱣ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱪᱟᱹᱯᱩ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱚᱡᱷᱮ ᱤᱥᱯᱟᱛ ᱵᱤᱢ ᱟᱨ ᱢᱚᱰᱩᱞᱟᱨ ᱯᱮᱱᱮᱞ ᱛᱮ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱫᱟᱲᱮᱭᱟᱜᱼᱟ᱾ ᱪᱟᱹᱯᱩ ᱫᱷᱟᱨᱮ ᱵᱷᱤᱛᱨᱤ ᱨᱮ ᱩᱠᱩ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱱᱟᱞᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱫᱟᱜᱽᱡᱟᱹᱨᱤ ᱫᱟᱜ ᱠᱚ ᱡᱟᱣᱨᱟᱭᱟ᱾ ᱦᱟᱢᱟᱞ ᱨᱮᱢᱰ ᱟᱨᱛᱷ ᱠᱟᱱᱛᱷ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱯᱩᱨᱟᱹ ᱩᱥᱩᱞ ᱠᱟᱸᱪ ᱠᱟᱱᱛᱷ ᱥᱟᱶᱛᱮ ᱢᱮᱥᱟ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱯᱚᱨᱚᱥ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱟᱡᱟᱣ ᱫᱚ ᱛᱟᱞᱢᱟ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱨᱟᱪᱟ ᱥᱟᱦᱟᱸᱛᱟ ᱨᱮ ᱥᱟᱡᱟᱣ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱛᱮ ᱧᱮᱞᱧᱟᱢᱤᱭᱟᱹ ᱠᱚ ᱥᱩᱨ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱴᱚᱴᱦᱟ ᱥᱟᱶ ᱠᱚ ᱡᱩᱲᱟᱹᱣᱜᱼᱟ᱾
ᱢᱟᱱᱟᱱ
A' Design Award ᱠᱟᱥᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱵᱟᱵᱚᱛ ᱛᱮ
Osmosis ᱴᱩᱨᱤᱥᱴ ᱛᱟᱞᱢᱟ ᱚᱲᱟᱜ 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᱾ Osmosis ᱴᱩᱨᱤᱥᱴ ᱛᱟᱞᱢᱟ ᱚᱲᱟᱜ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾
ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱯᱤᱪᱷᱟ ᱨᱮ
ᱯᱨᱮᱥ ᱠᱤᱴ
ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱠᱨᱮᱰᱤᱴ, ᱴᱤᱢ ᱥᱫᱚᱥᱭ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱤᱠᱮᱞ ᱵᱤᱵᱚᱨᱚᱬ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾
- ᱟᱞᱜᱟ ᱜᱩᱱ ᱠᱚ
- Reflecting the concept of osmosis, the center's non-centric layout allows tourists to feel like an integral part of the landscape. By contrasting heavy rammed earth with transparent all-glass walls, the architecture dissolves physical barriers, fully absorbing visitors into the terrain. Additionally, the undulating roof responds directly to El Paso’s arid climate, utilizing concealed gutters for a vital water collection system that ensures long-term ecological resilience.
- ᱢᱟᱯ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱮᱠᱮᱡᱤᱝ
- Osmosis is a large-scale civic infrastructure organized around a central radial courtyard. The technical envelope combines high thermal mass rammed earth walls and expansive structural glazing, optimized for arid climates. The conical roof spans are constructed using straight steel beams mapped to conical generators, supporting modular panels and concealed stormwater gutters. The facility houses tourism and education centre function spaces.
- ᱴᱮᱜ ᱠᱚ
- Parametric Architecture, Migrant Service Center, Geometric Rationalization, Conical Geometry, Porous Space, Rammed Earth Construction, Sustainable Infrastructure, Border Architecture
- ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱛᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ
- Osmosis uses geometric rationalization to translate organic surfaces into ruled conical geometries. Mapping a structural grid along the cones' straight-line generators allows efficient construction of complex curvature using straight members and modular roof panels. Concealed gutters within the roof's edges preserve the undulating canopy's seamless purity, while full-height glass walls dissolve visual boundaries to maintain an uninterrupted connection with the landscape.
- ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱱ ᱪᱮᱞᱮᱧ
- The main challenge was translating fluid ecological concepts into buildable architecture. Socially, the design shifts historical paradigms of environmental exploitation toward ecological education. Externally, harsh regional climates dictated strict parameters. Production limits were overcome using advanced parametric technology, rationalizing complex undulating curvatures into modular conical geometries to enable cost-efficient construction using strictly straight steel members.
- ᱜᱚᱵᱮᱥᱚᱱᱟ
- This applied research designed a cost-efficient, climate-responsive sanctuary. Using structural, solar, and sightline simulations alongside climate data, various roof geometries were tested. Simulated tourist viewpoints, water-saving calculations, and material metrics determined the optimal shape. Results proved this form maximizes daylight control, water harvesting, and nature views while significantly reducing structural costs. This offers an economical, ecological hub that deeply absorbs visitors.
- ᱯᱨᱮᱨᱚᱱᱟ
- The primary inspiration for this project stems from the severe environmental crises of water depletion and soil salinization in the arid landscapes of El Paso. Observing the profound disconnect between human infrastructure—specifically the forceful industrial separation of water and salt through desalination—and the fragile ecosystems it occupies, the design emerged as an architectural counter-narrative.
Operating as an ecological tourism and education center, the project is motivated by the need to attract visitors while actively educating the public about these pressing environmental urgencies. The central motive is to foster a profound union between humanity and the natural environment through the conceptual framework of "osmosis," seeking to heal the separation between people and the ecology they inhabit.
Furthermore, the formal language and shape of the building are directly inspired by the El Paso terrain itself, capturing the stark realities of regional water scarcity. Specifically, the architectural massing and undulating rooflines draw upon the distinct geometry of a dry pond, serving as a direct visual and spatial allusion to the parched earth and the environmental narrative driving the design. - ᱯᱨᱚᱡᱮᱠᱴ ᱥᱚᱢᱚᱭ
- Developed as an architectural project in 2023 , Osmosis is situated at El Paso, Texas.
- ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱦᱚᱨ
- This undulating canopy transforms flat surfaces into a flowing wave. It isn't "operated" by machines, but by nature: visitors interact by walking beneath its shifting heights, moving between airy, sunlit peaks and shaded, intimate dips. It performs significantly better than a standard flat roof because these precise curves naturally channel rare rainwater into concealed edges and optimize cooling airflow, creating a highly efficient, climate-responsive desert oasis.
- ᱴᱤᱢ ᱥᱮᱫᱟᱭ ᱠᱚ
- Changsong Li, Cen Shen
- ᱪᱤᱛᱟᱹᱨ ᱥᱟᱹᱦᱟ
- Image #1: Creators Changsong Li and Cen Shen, Osmosis: Dissolving The Borderline, 2023.
Image #2: Creators Changsong Li and Cen Shen, Osmosis: Dissolving The Borderline, 2023.
Image #3: Creators Changsong Li and Cen Shen, Osmosis: Dissolving The Borderline, 2023.
Image #4: Creators Changsong Li and Cen Shen, Osmosis: Dissolving The Borderline, 2023.
Image #5: Creators Changsong Li and Cen Shen, Osmosis: Dissolving The Borderline, 2023.
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