Resurgence Kazi ya Msingi: Kanisa by Zehua Zhang

Resurgence Kazi ya Msingi: Kanisa by Zehua Zhang 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

Resurgence Kazi ya Msingi: Kanisa

by Zehua Zhang

Client: Zehua Zhang

Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award Winner in Usanifu wa Majengo Category

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Resurgence Kazi ya Msingi: Kanisa

Maandishi ya Kitabu: Resurgence ni kanisa jipya lililoko Altadena linalojibu mahitaji ya ujenzi mpya baada ya moto wa nyika. Muundo wake unarejelea milima inayozunguka kupitia maumbo yaliyochongwa yaliyosimama wima. Zege, kioo, na viwanja vilivyopandwa mimea vinabainisha nafasi za ndani, vikileta mwangaza wa mchana na kuunda mazingira tulivu. Mradi huu unachanganya maeneo ya ibada na vituo vya jamii, ukitoa nafasi za mazoezi ya kiroho na mwingiliano wa kijamii. Unaakisi muktadha wa eneo huku ukikidhi shughuli mbalimbali za jamii.

The Recognition

About the Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award

Resurgence Kazi ya Msingi: Kanisa 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. Resurgence Kazi ya Msingi: Kanisa 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. Resurgence Kazi ya Msingi: Kanisa 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: 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