The Ripple Umsebenzi Oyinhloko: Indawo Yokunakekela Abagulayo by Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu and Hao Zhong

The Ripple Umsebenzi Oyinhloko: Indawo Yokunakekela Abagulayo by Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu and Hao Zhong is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Umklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award in Ukudizayina Ezokwakha, Izakhiwo Nezinhlaka Competition Category.

IsilivaEzokwakha· 2026

The Ripple Umsebenzi Oyinhloko: Indawo Yokunakekela Abagulayo

by Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu and Hao Zhong

Umklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award Winner in Ezokwakha Category

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The Design

About The Ripple Umsebenzi Oyinhloko: Indawo Yokunakekela Abagulayo

I-Ripple iyisiphakamiso sendawo yokunakekela abagulayo esakhiwe ngohlelo lwendawo oluyizungezi olusungulwa esigcawini esiphakathi samanzi. Itholakala e-Chinatown, e-New York City, lo mklamo uchaza kabusha ukunakekelwa ekupheleni kwempilo njengesipiliyoni sasedolobheni esiphathelene nomphakathi kunesikhungo esizimele. Imisinga yemingcele, izinkundla zangaphandle, kanye nezakhiwo zamapulangwe ziqondisa ukunyakaza kusukela empilweni yomphakathi ziya ekuzindleni okuthulile. Ukukhanya kwemini okuhlanganisiwe, amanzi, kanye namasu emvelo angasebenzi ngokwemvelo kudala ukuzola kwezizwa, kusekela ubumfihlo, ukuqondisa, kanye nempilo yengqondo ngokwakheka kobuciko bokwakha uqobo.

The Recognition

About the Umklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award

The Ripple Umsebenzi Oyinhloko: Indawo Yokunakekela Abagulayo iwinile uMklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award, ukwaziswa okuhloniphekile ngokungajwayelekile okunikezwa imiklamo esezingeni eliphezulu, ebukekayo nethinta kakhulu. Abawinile beSiliva yimisebenzi egqamile kakhulu nedala kakhulu ebonisa ubungcweti obuphawulekayo, italente nobuhlakani babaklami babo. The Ripple Umsebenzi Oyinhloko: Indawo Yokunakekela Abagulayo ilindeleke ukuba ibe ngumsebenzi omuhle wesibonelo, onobungcweti obuphawulekayo nezinto ezintsha ezijulile. Lo mklamo owinile uMklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award uyinto entsha ebonakala kakhulu nethakazelisayo esiza futhi isunduza imingcele yobuciko, isayensi, ukuklama nobuchwepheshe. The Ripple Umsebenzi Oyinhloko: Indawo Yokunakekela Abagulayo iyinto enomhawu omkhulu kuyo evusa izifiso, ilethe imizwa emihle futhi ivuse ukumangala nokuxakeka.

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