Press Release
Xiaomao Cao Receives the Bronze A' Design Award for Qinglong Ting Landscape Pavilion in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
The international grand jury of the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Xiaomao Cao for architecture, building and structure design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 20, 2023 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Qinglong Ting Landscape Pavilion by Xiaomao Cao, designed for Huazhong University of Science and Technology, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category. The recognition forms part of the 2022 - 2023 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined 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.
About the Bronze A' Design Award
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
About Qinglong Ting Landscape Pavilion
This project showcases the transformative potential of architecture to reimagine the relationship with the natural world. The designers' recognition of the inherent contrast between the pavilion and its site, and their embrace of this juxtaposition as a catalyst for forging a novel relationship, highlight a sophisticated understanding of the interplay between the constructed form and its natural context.
About Xiaomao Cao
Cao Xiaomao is an established scholar in the field of architecture and design research. With a wide-ranging practice that spans from architecture to interior design, he has also contributed to the domains of urban regeneration and rural revitalisation. In addition to his spatial practice, he has established himself as an authority on the study of built heritage in both urban and rural China. His research and practical works have been published in several domestic journals and have been showcased at prestigious events such as the Venice Biennale and the Beijing Design Week.
Award Record
With this recognition, Xiaomao Cao is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award
The A' Architecture Design Award is an international architectural design competition recognizing good architectural designs by best architects worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to architectural design studios, building contractors, structural engineering firms and architecture and design consultants from all countries. Entries typically include skyscrapers, museums, residential buildings, commercial complexes, educational institutions and religious structures. Awarded architectural projects are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/architecture
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission 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. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated 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. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates 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, the upload of a work and the 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. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/147041
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/147041
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!147041
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/332555
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
- Qinglong Ting Landscape Pavilion
- Function
- Landscape Pavilion
- Category
- Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture
- Colors
- Lavender, Black, Dim Gray, Gray and Dark Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Xiaomao Cao
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2022 - 2023
- Design ID
- #147041
Credits
- Team
- Cao Xiaomao
- Image Credits
- Photographer Liu Xinghao INSPACE, Pavilion Roof Profile, 2022; Photographer Liu Xinghao INSPACE, Aerial View, 2022; Photographer Liu Xinghao INSPACE, Overall View, 2022; Photographer Liu Xinghao INSPACE, Roof View, 2022; Photographer Liu Xinghao INSPACE, Corridor View, 2022
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Adjacent to the Gonghe waterworks facility, the Qionglong Ting Landscape Pavilion is situated within a bucolic village in Dangyang, Hubei. The innovative undertaking endeavours to repurpose the private enclave of the waterworks factory into a public sphere, thereby reconceptualising the function of water infrastructure. This transformation serves as an impetus for suburban revitalisation and the enhancement of living standards in agrarian communities.
- Inspiration
- Upon conducting an on-site investigation, we discerned a pervasive communal activity that unites the villagers— lingering. Architectural elements in the local edifices of this hamlet exhibit a prominent enlargement of the porch vicinity adjacent to the entrance. These elongated overhangs seamlessly connect, providing an inviting space where inhabitants partake in solitary reflection, engage in convivial group discussions, or participate in spirited rounds of card games beneath the unbroken shelter of the continuous eaves.
- Research
- Our design emerged from contemplating the interplay between the constructed form and its natural context. Rather than merely adapting to the landscape, we recognised that the pavilion, as a human-made object, inherently contrasts with the site, irrespective of the volume's composition. This juxtaposition, instead of being viewed as an impediment, is embraced as a catalyst for forging a novel relationship. Consequently, our design introduces an alternative mode of utilising, observing, and interpreting the environment, enriching the overall experience.
- Challenge
- The villagers played an active role in the design process. Initially, the concept for the steel columns entailed exposing all structural elements to accentuate the architectural tectonics. Nevertheless, the residents expressed their preference against the exposed steel, deeming it visually unappealing. As a result, all steel structures were encased in carpentry. This instance exemplifies the numerous dialogues that transpired throughout the design process. Ultimately, the realised space embodies the villagers' unique interpretation and influence on the design.
- Realization and Technology
- To enhance the roof's volume and promote the act of lingering, the design incorporates a steel and timber framework. A 20-meter-long atrium is interspersed within the 35-meter-long canopy, mitigating its perceived mass while preserving the site's trees and allowing for increased sunlight. A series of inclined columns deftly shoulder the structure's primary weight. Elevating the southern eave by 50 centimetres above ground level accentuates the roof's silhouette, giving the entire system an appearance of levitation.
- Operation and Interaction
- Instead of adhering to a conventional pavilion design, this project deconstructs the building type into two essential structural components: the roof and the podium. The roof section slopes southward, conforming to the terrain and shaping a continuous corridor. Conversely, the podium inclines northward, melding with the entrance plaza and converting it into an elevated vantage point for skyward observation. Through this redefinition of the roof and podium, the design engenders two distinct yet harmonious viewing experiences—one dynamic and the other static.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in August 2021, finished in January 2022 and located in Dangyang City, Hubei, China.
- Specifications
- Site Area 1350 square meters, Gross Floor Area 316 square meters
- Keywords
- Landscape Pavilion, Timber and Steel Structure, Landscape Structure, Chinese Rural,
