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The Ripple Hospic by Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu and Hao Zhong

The Ripple Hospic by Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu and Hao Zhong is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Сребрна награда A' Design Award in Дизајн архитектуре, зграда и конструкција Competition Category.


СребрнаАрхитектура· 2026

The Ripple Hospic

by Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu and Hao Zhong

Сребрна награда A' Design Award Winner in Архитектура Category

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The Design

About The Ripple Hospic

The Ripple je predlog hospica strukturiran koncentričnim prostornim sistemom koji nastaje iz centralnog vodenog dvorišta. Smešten u Kineskoj četvrti u Njujorku, dizajn redefiniše negu na kraju života kao urbano građansko iskustvo, a ne kao izolovanu instituciju. Slojevi pragova, dvorišta i drvenih obloga usmeravaju kretanje od javnog života ka tihom promišljanju. Integrisana dnevna svetlost, voda i pasivne ekološke strategije stvaraju čulni mir, podržavajući privatnost, orijentaciju i emocionalno blagostanje kroz samu arhitekturu.

The Recognition

About the Сребрна награда A' Design Award

The Ripple Hospic је добитник Сребрне награде A' Design Award, изузетно престижног признања које се додељује врхунским, предивним и импресивним дизајнима. Добитници Сребрне награде неизмерно су бриљантна и изузетно креативна дела која илуструју изузетну стручност, таленат и оштроумност својих дизајнера. Очекује се да The Ripple Hospic буде дивно, узорно дело, запажено професионално и дубоко иновативно. Овај дизајн награђен Сребрном наградом A' Design Award веома је запажен, дивљен изум који користи и помера границе уметности, науке, дизајна и технологије. The Ripple Hospic је творевина којој многи завиде, која буди жеље, доноси позитивна осећања и изазива чуђење и дивљење.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties
The Ripple reimagines hospice as an urban civic sanctuary structured by a concentric ripple geometry generated from a single water court. Architecture, structure, circulation, and environmental systems align within one continuous spatial logic, integrating hybrid timber construction, passive ventilation, and water reuse. The design transforms end-of-life care into a collective, sensory experience embedded within the life of the city.
Dimensions & Packaging
The project employs a hybrid timber system organized by concentric structural rings. Curved CLT load-bearing wall segments rise from a continuous concrete foundation datum, supporting stepped roof bands with integrated skylights, photovoltaic tiles, and rainwater collection gutters. Environmental systems include stacked passive ventilation, hydronic radiant floor slabs, and on-site water filtration and reuse.
Tags
Hospice, Healthcare Design, Sensory experience, Therapeutic environment,
Production Technology
The project was developed through an integrated design methodology where geometry, structure, and environmental systems evolve from a single concentric datum. Digital modeling and iterative sectional studies guided spatial, daylight, and airflow performance. A hybrid timber system using curved CLT wall segments, cavity assemblies, and a continuous concrete base enables structural clarity while integrating rainwater collection, passive ventilation, and radiant conditioning within one coordinated assembly.
Design Challenge
The primary challenge was reconciling hospice care’s need for privacy and calm with the density and intensity of an urban Chinatown context. Social perceptions of hospice as isolated institutions required rethinking care as civic and accessible. Spatially, integrating sensory comfort, acoustic privacy, and environmental performance within a compact site demanded precise coordination of structure, water systems, and daylight. The project resolves these tensions through a unified geometric and environmental strategy.
Research
Design research combining healthcare design and environmental psychology. Objective: improve patient privacy and emotional comfort in hospice settings. Methodology explored spatial sequencing and sensory design strategies. Experiential scenarios tested water sound as a non-visual privacy buffer.
Inspiration
The Ripple is inspired by the universal image of a water drop generating expanding rings, symbolizing the continuity of life, memory, and collective care. Research into hospice environments, sensory psychology, and traditional courtyard typologies informed a design that replaces institutional isolation with spatial calm, gradual thresholds, and communal presence, integrating cultural reflection with environmental performance.
Project Duration
The project was developed between September 2025 and Janurary 2026 as part of an architectural design competition. The Ripple is located in Chinatown, New York City, where it reimagines hospice care within a dense urban context. The proposal explores how end-of-life care can integrate with everyday civic life through architecture, landscape, and community-oriented programming.
Operation Flow
Movement through Ripple follows expanding concentric rings, guiding visitors from the active city edge toward increasing quiet and intimacy. Thresholds, courtyards, and water elements choreograph gradual emotional transition rather than abrupt separation. Daylight, airflow, and acoustic water features respond passively to occupancy and climate, supporting orientation, privacy, and calm—allowing care to unfold through spatial experience rather than institutional control.
Patents
Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu, Hao Zhong
Team Members
Minghan Lin
Yuchen Qiu
Hao Zhong
Image Credits
Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu, Hao Zhong

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