Liao Liao One Cup Mkahawa by Zhijiang Shan and Fan Li is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award in Usanifu wa Majengo, Ujenzi na Miundo Competition Category.
ShabaUsanifu wa Majengo· 2026
Liao Liao One Cup Mkahawa
Client: R&J Design
Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award Winner in Usanifu wa Majengo Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #180902The Design
About Liao Liao One Cup Mkahawa
Liao Liao One Cup ni banda la mkahawa la ghorofa moja lililojengwa karibu na Jumba la Makumbusho la Luoyang huko Luoyang, China. Jengo hili linatumia kanuni za nyumba tulivu (passive house) ili kupunguza hitaji la upoozaji wa kimitambo. Mstari wa paa unaopinda-pinda, ulioongozwa na Mto wa kale wa Luo, huvuta hewa kupitia mandhari ya ndani ya wazi na kuunda kipengele kikuu cha kiusanifu. Chuma cha Corten kilichochakaa na chuma cha pua kilichong'arishwa kama kioo hufunika fremu ya chuma iliyo wazi, na hivyo kuondoa hitaji la ukamilishaji wa ziada. Dari ya mawe ghafi hutoa uzito wa joto (thermal mass), na madirisha ya vioo kutoka sakafuni hadi darini huleta mwanga wa mchana ndani.
The Recognition
About the Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award
Liao Liao One Cup Mkahawa ni mshindi wa Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award, utambuzi wenye heshima kubwa unaotolewa kwa miundo bora inayotofautishwa kwa ubunifu, ustadi na busara. Washindi wa Shaba ni kazi za ufundi mwingi na bunifu ya kushangaza zinazothibitisha uzoefu mpana, mawazo na ustadi wa wabunifu wao. Liao Liao One Cup Mkahawa inatarajiwa kuwa kitu kinachothaminiwa sana, kupendwa na kuenziwa, ambacho ni cha kitaalamu na bunifu kwa kiasi kikubwa. Muundo huu ulioshinda Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award unajumuisha mbinu bora katika sanaa, sayansi, usanifu na teknolojia, na ni bora kwa umakini wake kwa undani. Liao Liao One Cup Mkahawa hutosheleza mahitaji kwa uzuri, hugusa hamu, huvutia hisia na kuvutia udadisi.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- This cafe pioneers passive house application in commercial hospitality, using the undulating roofline as both environmental system and cultural landmark. Natural ventilation replaces mechanical cooling while Corten steel and mirror-polished stainless steel create a bold material vocabulary. Adjacent to a major museum, the design establishes a new architectural identity for sustainable public gathering spaces in heritage contexts, proving innovation and cultural resonance can coexist.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Single-story cafe pavilion featuring passive ventilation roofline, weathered Corten steel and mirror-polished stainless steel cladding, exposed steel structural framework, raw stone thermal mass ceiling, and floor-to-ceiling low-E glazing. Climate-responsive roof geometry optimized for natural airflow and daylight penetration. Minimal mechanical cooling systems required.
- Tags
- Cafe, passive house, sustainability, cultural landmark, Corten steel, innovation, Luoyang Museum, Luo River, natural ventilation, heritage, green architecture, climate responsive
- Production Technology
- The undulating roofline integrates passive house engineering with sculptural fabrication. Corten steel panels and mirror-polished stainless steel were precision-formed to optimize natural airflow patterns derived from computational climate analysis. Exposed structural frameworks eliminate the need for secondary finishes, reducing material waste. Raw stone ceiling textures provide thermal mass for passive temperature regulation. The entire construction strategy prioritizes long-term environmental performance alongside minimal site intervention.
- Design Challenge
- The core challenge was threefold: achieving passive house performance through architectural form alone, creating a recognizable cultural landmark adjacent to a major heritage institution, and proving these goals are complementary rather than contradictory. The resolution embedded environmental function within the sculptural roofline, allowing a single design element to serve as climate system, cultural symbol, and brand identity simultaneously.
- Research
- This project advances passive house application beyond residential typology into public commercial architecture. The roofline functions simultaneously as cultural landmark and environmental system, demonstrating that climate-responsive innovation can generate architectural identity rather than constrain it. Situated in a heritage district, the design proposes a replicable model for sustainable cultural landmarks that honor context through contrast rather than imitation.
- Inspiration
- Situated beside the Luoyang Museum, this project was inspired by the challenge of creating a new cultural landmark that advances sustainable building practice. The sculptural roofline channels the ancient Luo River, embedding climate-responsive innovation within cultural symbolism. The vision was to prove that passive house principles can define the next generation of public architecture in heritage districts, where environmental innovation and cultural identity reinforce each other.
- Project Duration
- Completed adjacent to Luoyang Museum, Luoyang, Henan Province, China in 2025
- Operation Flow
- The passive ventilation system shapes the visitor experience from arrival. The roofline draws air naturally through the open-plan interior, creating thermal comfort without mechanical noise. Floor-to-ceiling glazing connects visitors to the museum landscape while maximizing daylight, reducing energy consumption. Material transitions from raw Corten to polished steel guide movement through zones of varying intimacy, each defined by sustainable material honesty rather than decorative excess.
- Team Members
- Designers: Zhijiang Shan, Fan Li
- Image Credits
- Photo: Wei Zhao
Video: Zimo Shan
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