Liao Liao One Cup Ilé Kọfí by Zhijiang Shan and Fan Li is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award in Àpẹẹrẹ Ìkọ́lé, Ilé àti Ètò Competition Category.
IdẹÌkọ́lé· 2026
Liao Liao One Cup Ilé Kọfí
Client: R&J Design
Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award Winner in Ìkọ́lé Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #180902The Design
About Liao Liao One Cup Ilé Kọfí
Liao Liao One Cup jẹ́ ilé kékeré alájà kan ṣoṣo fún kọfí tí a kọ́ sí ẹ̀gbẹ́ Ilé Ìkóhun-ìṣẹ̀ǹbáyé Luoyang ní Luoyang, orílẹ̀-èdè Ṣáínà. Ilé náà lo àwọn ìlànà ilé aláìlágbára-agbára (passive house) láti dín ìwúlò fún ìtutù ẹ̀rọ kù. Òrùlé oníyíkàá tí ó gba ìmísí láti ọ̀dọ̀ odò Luo ìgbàanì ń fa afẹ́fẹ́ gba inú ilé aláyè gbígbòòrò náà kọjá, ó sì jẹ́ àmì àkànṣe pàtàkì nínú iṣẹ́ ilé-kíkọ́ náà. Irin Corten tí ojú-ọjọ́ ti pọ́n àti irin aláìlèèpa tí a dán bí dígí ni a fi bo egungun irin tí ó hàn síta, èyí tí ó mú kí a má nílò àfikún ìparí ojú-ilé mọ́. Àjà òkúta aláìsé-lọ́ṣọ̀ọ́ ń pèsè ìkójọpọ̀ ooru, àwọn fèrèsé dígí láti ilẹ̀ dé àjà sì ń mú ìmọ́lẹ̀ ọ̀sán wọ inú ilé.
The Recognition
About the Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award
Liao Liao One Cup Ilé Kọfí jẹ́ olùborí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award, ìdánimọ̀ olókìkí gan-an tí a fún àwọn àwòṣe tó tayọ tí wọ́n yàtọ̀ nípasẹ̀ ìṣẹ̀dá, àrékérekè àti ọgbọ́n inú. Àwọn olùborí Idẹ jẹ́ àwọn ohun èlò tó ní ìjáfáfá gan-an tí wọ́n sì ní ìṣẹ̀dá tó yani lẹ́nu tí wọ́n ń ṣe ẹ̀rí ìrírí gbígbòòrò, ìrònú àti ọgbọ́n àwọn olùṣàwòṣe wọn. A retí pé Liao Liao One Cup Ilé Kọfí yóò jẹ́ ohun tí a kà sí gidigidi, tí a gbóríyìn fún tí a sì nífẹ̀ẹ́, tó jẹ́ ti ọ̀jáfáfá lọ́nà tó ṣe pàtàkì tó sì ní ìmúṣẹ̀dá tuntun. Àwòṣe tó borí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Idẹ A' Design Award yìí ń kó àwọn ọ̀nà tó dára jùlọ nínú iṣẹ́ ọnà, sáyẹ́ǹsì, àwòṣe àti ìmọ̀-ẹ̀rọ jọ, ó sì tayọ nítorí àfiyèsí rẹ̀ sí àwọn àlàyé kékeré. Liao Liao One Cup Ilé Kọfí ń tẹ́ àwọn ohun tí a nílò lọ́rùn lọ́nà àgbàyanu, ó ń fọwọ́ kan àwọn ìfẹ́ inú, ó ń gbà ọkàn ó sì ń fa ìfẹ́ láti mọ̀ mọ́ra.
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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