Grow Together Guri Yar oo Wada-koraal ah by Yanci Chen

Grow Together Guri Yar oo Wada-koraal ah by Yanci Chen is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Abaalmarinta Birta ah ee A' Design Award in Naqshadeynta Bulshada Competition Category.

BirBulshada· 2025

Grow Together Guri Yar oo Wada-koraal ah

by Yanci Chen

Client: Ycj Studio

Abaalmarinta Birta ah ee A' Design Award Winner in Bulshada Category

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Verified Award Winner

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Grow Together Guri Yar oo Wada-koraal ah

Grow Together waa mashruuc guryo yar-yar oo isku-dhafan (modular micro-housing) kaas oo wax ka qabanaya dhibaatada la'aanta guriga ee ka jirta Seattle. Naqshaddu waxay dhigaysaa hoy-yaal yaryar oo aan ku xidhnayn shabakadaha guud (off-grid) oo lagu dhex dhisayo yaadaha dambe ee guryaha degganaanta, taasoo bixinaysa hoy ku-meel-gaar ah oo u dhow xaafadaha aasaasan. Unug kastaa wuxuu le'eg yahay 3,000 illaa 6,000 millimitir, waxaana lagu dhisaa alwaax isku-dheggan oo iskaashan (cross-laminated timber) iyo bir dib-loo-warshadeeyay si loo dhiso si degdeg ah. Waxaa taageeraya iskumeel-gaarnimada kaalinta gaadhaha qoraxda, shaandheynta biyaha roobka, iyo musqulaha bacriminta (composting toilets). Beeraha xeriga ah ee la wadaago iyo goobaha bulshadeed ee dabacsan ayaa martigeliya barnaamijyada beer-galinta iyo horumarinta xirfadaha. Qaabka guud ee naqshaddu wuxuu ilaalinayaa asturnaanta halka uu isla mar ahaantaana dhiirigelinayo dib-u-milmidda bulshada.

The Recognition

About the Abaalmarinta Birta ah ee A' Design Award

Grow Together Guri Yar oo Wada-koraal ah waa guuleystaha Abaalmarinta Birta ah ee A' Design Award, aqoonsi sharaf leh oo la siiyo naqshado wanaagsan oo buuxiya shuruudaha xirfadeed iyo kuwa warshadeed ee laga filayo hal-abuurro si wanaagsan loo naqshadeeyay. Guuleystayaasha Birta waxay muujiyaan xirfad weyn, takhasus sare, fahan khabiir iyo awood hal-abuur oo abuurayaashooda. Grow Together Guri Yar oo Wada-koraal ah waa hal-abuur la filayo inuu noqdo mid aad loo tixgeliyo, la ixtiraamo oo la jecel yahay, wax ku ool ah oo cusub. Naqshadahan ku guuleystay Abaalmarinta Birta ah ee A' Design Award wuxuu isku daraa hab-dhaqannada ugu wanaagsan warshadda wuxuuna leeyahay sifooyin farsamo oo karti leh oo ku xiran aqoon iyo hibo. Dhammaystirkeeda awgeed, Grow Together Guri Yar oo Wada-koraal ah waa mudan ixtiraam, waxaana loo naqshadeeyay inay keento hagaajin nololeed oo ka caawisa in adduunka laga dhigo meel ka wanaagsan.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Grow Together is an intergenerational community hub that integrates adaptive architecture, urban farming, and sustainable living. The design fosters cross-generational exchange through modular housing, shared greenhouses, and flexible communal spaces. Utilizing biophilic principles, passive cooling, and circular material strategies, it enhances resilience and well-being. Its unique strength lies in fostering social cohesion while promoting ecological responsibility and self-sufficiency.
Dimensions & Packaging: Grow Together features modular micro-housing units measuring 3,000mm (W) x 6,000mm (D) x 3,200mm (H), designed for easy deployment in residential backyards. Each unit incorporates off-grid solar panels, a rainwater filtration system, and composting toilets for self-sufficiency. The lightweight CLT and recycled steel structure allows for rapid assembly. Shared community hubs range from 20m² to 50m², integrating urban farming zones and flexible gathering spaces for reintegration programs.
Tags: micro-housing, intergenerational living, homelessness solution, modular architecture, urban farming, off-grid shelter, sustainable design, community reintegration, adaptive reuse, social impact
Production Technology: Grow Together utilizes prefabricated modular construction, integrating cross-laminated timber (CLT), recycled steel frames, and bio-based insulation for sustainability and efficiency. The design employs passive solar strategies, rainwater harvesting, and off-grid energy solutions to ensure self-sufficiency. Digital parametric modeling and AI-assisted spatial optimization guided the form and layout, maximizing adaptability, privacy, and seamless integration within existing urban fabric.
Design Challenge: The greatest challenge in Grow Together was balancing privacy and social reintegration while ensuring scalability and feasibility. Socially, resistance to backyard shelters required design solutions that reassured homeowners and preserved neighborhood aesthetics. Legally, zoning restrictions and permitting posed barriers. Technologically, optimizing off-grid utilities in a compact form was complex. Overcoming these required community engagement, modular innovation, and adaptive policy integration.
Research: Grow Together is based on social impact and architectural research addressing homelessness in Seattle. The objective was to explore backyard micro-housing as a transitional solution for reintegration. Using case studies, interviews, and spatial analysis, data was collected from homeowners, social workers, and unhoused individuals. Findings highlight the need for privacy, community engagement, and self-sufficiency. The project fosters scalable, community-driven solutions, influencing urban policy and inclusive design.
Inspiration: Grow Together is inspired by the urgent social challenge of homelessness in Seattle and the growing willingness of residents to share their backyards for micro/off-grid shelters. The project reimagines communal reintegration through modular, self-sustaining dwellings that offer transitional housing for individuals seeking to reconnect with society. By integrating adaptive architecture and urban farming, it fosters dignity, autonomy, and social inclusion.
Project Duration: March 2024 Seattle
Operation Flow: Grow Together operates as a flexible micro-housing solution that reintegrates individuals experiencing homelessness into the community. Homeowners can install modular units in their backyards, providing temporary, self-sustaining shelters. Residents engage in shared gardening, skill-building, and social programs in communal spaces. The adaptable design ensures privacy while fostering interaction, creating a supportive transition toward permanent housing and social reintegration.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Yanci Chen
Team Members: Yanci Chen
Image Credits: Yanci Chen