Resurgence Hawsha Aasaasiga ah: Kaniisad by Zehua Zhang

Resurgence Hawsha Aasaasiga ah: Kaniisad by Zehua Zhang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Abaalmarinta Naxaasta ah ee A' Design Award in Naqshadeynta Qaab-dhismeedka, Dhismaha iyo Qaab-dhismeedyada Competition Category.

NaxaasQaab-dhismeed· 2026

Resurgence Hawsha Aasaasiga ah: Kaniisad

by Zehua Zhang

Client: Zehua Zhang

Abaalmarinta Naxaasta ah ee A' Design Award Winner in Qaab-dhismeed Category

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The Design

About Resurgence Hawsha Aasaasiga ah: Kaniisad

Resurgence waa kaniisad cusub oo ku taal Altadena oo ka jawaabaysa baahiyaha dib-u-dhiska ka dib dabka kaynta. Naqshadeynta waxay tixraacaysaa buuraha ku hareeraysan iyada oo loo marayo qaabab toosan oo la farshaxaneeyay. Simintiga, quraaradda, iyo barxadaha la beeray waxay qeexaan booskooda gudaha ah, iyaga oo keenaya iftiinka maalinlaha ah oo abuuraya deegaanno degan. Mashruucu wuxuu isku daraa aagagga cibaadada iyo tas-hiilaadka bulshada, isaga oo bixinaya meelo loogu talagalay dhaqanka ruuxiga ah iyo isdhexgalka bulshada labadaba. Wuxuu ka tarjumayaa xaaladda maxalliga ah isaga oo isla waqtigaas qaabaynaya hawlaha bulsho ee kala duwan.

The Recognition

About the Abaalmarinta Naxaasta ah ee A' Design Award

Resurgence Hawsha Aasaasiga ah: Kaniisad waa guuleystaha Abaalmarinta Naxaasta ah ee A' Design Award, aqoonsi sharaf sare leh oo la siiyo naqshado aan caadi ahayn oo lagu garto hal-abuur, hal-abuur cusub iyo caqli. Guuleystayaasha Naxaasta waa shaqooyin xirfad buuxda leh iyo hal-abuur yaab leh oo xaqiijiya khibrad weyn, male-awaal iyo kartida naqshadeeyayaashooda. Resurgence Hawsha Aasaasiga ah: Kaniisad waa walax la filayo inay noqoto mid aad loo tixgeliyo, la ixtiraamo oo la jecel yahay, xirfad cad leh oo hal-abuur cusub leh. Naqshadahan ku guuleystay Abaalmarinta Naxaasta ah ee A' Design Award wuxuu ku darsadaa hab-dhaqanno ugu wanaagsan farshaxanka, sayniska, naqshadaynta iyo tignoolajiyada wuxuuna ku fiican yahay dhawrista tafaasiisha. Resurgence Hawsha Aasaasiga ah: Kaniisad si fiican ayay u buuxisaa baahiyaha, taabataa rabitaannada, soo jiidataa dareenka kicinayaanna xiisaha aqoonta.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: Resurgence is a contemporary church in Altadena, conceived as a spiritual and cultural catalyst after the wildfire. Inspired by surrounding mountain ridges, its sculpted concrete form rises vertically toward light-filled skylights, expressing renewal. A skylight atrium and courtyard weave nature, light, and community together, uniting sacred worship and civic life in a resilient beacon of collective healing and hope.
Dimensions & Packaging: Single story building with overall dimensions of 45 meters in width, 45 meters in depth, and 18 meters in height.
Tags: Community renewal, cultural architecture, fluid form, concrete and light interplay, atrium with skylight, courtyard garden
Production Technology: Materiality and light shape the design. Concrete as the primary material, conveys weight and dignity while its smooth surfaces create a clean, harmonious space. A skylight courtyard and meditation garden establish a quiet dialogue between architecture and nature. Glass curtain walls guide daylight into the interior, forming a sacred, serene atmosphere. As light moves through the vertical spaces, it brings a continuous sense of ceremony and spiritual tension.
Design Challenge: The project faced the challenge of balancing spiritual, social, and cultural needs after wildfire loss. Internally, it required understanding Altadena’s history, community trauma, and collective memory. Externally, constraints included building codes, material limits, daylighting technology, and construction feasibility. Overcoming these involved iterative modeling, community feedback, and innovative use of concrete and glass to create a resilient, meaningful, and functional design.
Research: Type of Research: Applied architectural and social research. Objectives: Explore architecture’s role in post-wildfire community renewal. Methodology: Community engagement, iterative modeling. Tools: Site analysis, surveys, models, 3D simulations. Participants: Residents, church leaders, community groups. Results and Insights: Mountain-inspired forms, light, and open spaces foster spiritual and social connection. Impact: Strengthens cohesion, cultural life, and human-centered design practices.
Inspiration: The design was inspired by Altadena’s post-wildfire recovery and the site’s mountainous landscape. I studied topography, light behavior, and community rebuilding models to shape a form that abstracts surrounding ridges into a vertical, light-filled sanctuary. Research into trauma-informed spaces and passive daylighting informed the atrium, courtyard, and concrete massing, creating a resilient structure that fosters healing, unity, and spiritual renewal.
Project Duration: The project started in August 2025 and was completed in December 2025
Operation Flow: This project operates through spatial flow and light manipulation. Its atrium and skylights transform daylight into dynamic patterns, guiding movement and fostering contemplation. Interaction occurs as visitors move between worship, community, and meditation spaces, experiencing shifts in scale, light, and material. Key frames include entrance, atrium, courtyard, and sanctuary. By harmonizing architecture, light, and landscape, it enhances spiritual and social engagement.
Team Members: Zehua Zhang