Press Release
Hydro Bridge by Xiyao Wang Is Granted the Silver A' Design Award in Engineering, Construction and Infrastructure Design
Xiyao Wang acknowledged for engineering, construction and infrastructure design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Silver A' Design Award in the Engineering, Construction and Infrastructure Design category for Hydro Bridge by Xiyao Wang, designed for Extended Play Lab. The award was conferred within the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Silver A' Design Award Explained
The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
More About Hydro Bridge
Hydro-Bridge is a versatile transportation hub spanning the Nakkhu River in Chyasikot, Nepal. It adapts to seasonal shifts, functioning as a pedestrian and light vehicle bridge in dry months and converting into a water storage system and secure campsite during the monsoon. Blending infrastructure with public space, the design prioritizes environmental resilience, sustainability, and community needs while harmonizing with the natural landscape.
About Xiyao Wang
Xiyao Wang, a licensed architect and member of the AIA, is a distinguished professional known for his innovative and transformative contributions to the field of architecture. With a rich professional background spanning over eight years, Xiyao has honed his skills in some of the world's most prestigious architectural firms and institutions, like KPF, HOK & Nikken Sekkei. Currently serving as an Associate Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates in New York, Xiyao leads the design, detailing, and documentation of cutting-edge façade designs for high-rise buildings.
Award Record
With this recognition, Xiyao Wang is a winner of 3 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted in the 2024 - 2025 edition of the A' Design Award & Competition.
About the A' Engineering, Construction and Infrastructure Design Award
The A' Infrastructure Design Award is an international competition recognizing good infrastructure projects by engineers and construction companies worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to infrastructure designers, civil engineers, building engineers and infrastructure brands from all countries. Typical entries include bridges, tunnels, highways, railways, airports and dams. The awarded infrastructure designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/infrastructure
About A' Design Award & Competition
Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/165012
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/165012
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!165012
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/321759
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://eplabdotstudio.wordpress.com/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Hydro Bridge
- Function
- Bridge
- Category
- Engineering, Construction and Infrastructure Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Manufacturing
- Colors
- Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray, Dark Olive Green, Gray and Black
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Extended Play Lab
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Xiyao Wang
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #165012
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Hydro-Bridge is an adaptive, multifunctional pedestrain bridge in Chyasikot, Nepal. Designed to address the region's seasonal changes, it serves as a pedestrian and light vehicle bridge during dry periods and transforms into a water storage system and secure camping site during the rainy season. Its unique design merges public space and infrastructure, integrating environmental adaptation, sustainability, and community functionality, all while emphasizing harmony with the natural landscape.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration came from the need to develop resilient infrastructure in regions prone to drastic weather shifts. Nepal’s monsoon seasons present significant challenges, which inspired the bridge’s dual function as a dry-season bridge and a rainy-season water storage solution. Drawing from the fluidity of natural water systems and vernacular architecture, the project offers a public space that embraces the rhythms of its environment and creates opportunities for social engagement.
- Research
- The research behind Hydro-Bridge focused on sustainable infrastructure in flood-prone areas. The objective was to explore how built environments could adapt to climate conditions. The methodology involved site analysis, climate modeling, and user behavior studies, combining environmental data with structural analysis. Results showed the need for dual-purpose infrastructure that provides public space and addresses seasonal needs. This research highlights the bridge’s capacity to support urban resilience while fostering sustainable social spaces.
- Challenge
- The biggest challenge was designing a structure that responds to both community needs and the natural environment. Overcoming the constraints of budget, materials, and complex seasonal dynamics required interdisciplinary collaboration between architects, engineers, and hydrologists. The need to balance aesthetics with functionality, and to create a design that could withstand Nepal's intense monsoon season, while still offering public utility in drier months, pushed the creative boundaries and led to innovative structural solutions.
- Realization and Technology
- Steel structure with metal detailing and glass roof collecting rain water. Parametric design tools are used to design the bridge.
- Operation and Interaction
- Hydro-Bridge operates dynamically based on the seasonal cycle. During the dry season, it functions as a bridge for pedestrians and light vehicles. As monsoon rains begin, it transforms into a system that captures and stores rainwater. The design allows people to interact with the structure, using it as a social hub while benefiting from its adaptable functionality. Its design provides seamless transitions, reflecting an intelligent response to environmental changes and offering a public space that supports community interaction.
- Project Duration and Location
- Project is located Nakkhu River in Chyasikot, Nepal. First conceived in 2019.
- Specifications
- The bridge is 7m tall and 8m wide.
- Keywords
- bridge, infrastructure, sustainable design, climate change
