Press Release
Beyond the Green Hills Huizhou Architecture Renovation by Qianshuang Song Wins the Silver A' Design Award in Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design
Qianshuang Song honored for cultural heritage and culture industry design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 23, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Beyond the Green Hills Huizhou Architecture Renovation by Qianshuang Song has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design category. The award was conferred within the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored 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.
About Beyond the Green Hills Huizhou Architecture Renovation
Beyond the Green Hills is a renovation of a Huizhou style residence in Huangshan, Anhui Province, China. The design follows a light intervention approach. White walls and dark tiles are preserved, window proportions are adjusted, and eaves and lattice details are added. A glass volume in the courtyard links the buildings and brings in light, air and greenery. Split level lofts enrich the annex. Detailed surveying and 3D scanning supported a digital model used to plan structural changes. The total building area is 1,432 square metres.
Award Record
With this recognition, Qianshuang Song is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design Award
The A' Cultural Heritage Design Award is an international design competition recognizing good designs that preserve, protect, and promote cultural heritage. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to cultural heritage designers, culture industry professionals, cultural heritage specialists and museum designers from all countries. Entries typically include cultural heritage projects, cultural conversation, preservation and restoration and protection projects. Awarded cultural heritage designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/cultural-heritage
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/180845
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/180845
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!180845
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/379317
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/62051c0f00000000210
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
- Beyond the Green Hills Huizhou Architecture Renovation
- Function
- Huizhou Architecture Renovation
- Category
- Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design
- Discipline
- Communication Design
- Industry
- Arts and Social Impact
- Colors
- Dark Olive Green, Olive Drab, Powder Blue, Dark Slate Gray and Dark Gray
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Qianshuang Song
- Country
- China
- Recognition
- Silver A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #180845
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- The project renovates an existing Huizhou-style residence with a three-story main building, a courtyard annex, and landscape gardens. Using a “light intervention” strategy, Qianshuang Song preserves white walls and dark tiles, adjusts window proportions, adds eaves and lattice details, and raises roof height for updated living needs. Split-level lofts enrich the annex. A glass volume in the courtyard links buildings, introducing light, air, and greenery while opening previously enclosed spaces.
- Inspiration
- Inspired by a deep appreciation and academic study of Huizhou architecture, the project explores its cultural value and spatial principles. The design seeks to adapt traditional forms to contemporary living needs through sensitive renovation. Structural adjustments improve spatial permeability, while strategic openings enhance natural daylight. The project balances heritage preservation with functional modernization, ensuring continuity of regional identity.
- Research
- This project is based on structural and typological research into Huizhou residential architecture. To improve ground-floor connectivity, load-bearing interior walls were selectively removed, and a steel reinforcement system was introduced following structural assessment and digital simulation. Field surveys and modeling were used to ensure structural safety and stability. In parallel, the design team studied key Huizhou architectural elements, including Ma Tau walls, moon beams, and window lattice patterns, focusing on their proportions and construction logic.
- Challenge
- The existing building condition posed major challenges, with unclear structural systems and undocumented equipment locations. These issues were addressed through comprehensive on-site surveying and 3D scanning, while partial ground excavation helped verify foundation conditions and establish accurate design parameters. Another key challenge was optimizing window proportions to improve daylight and ventilation without compromising the cultural character and architectural spirit of traditional Huizhou architecture.
- Realization and Technology
- The original buildings were comprehensively surveyed and documented through detailed measurement and 3D scanning. A precise 1:1 digital model was reconstructed to analyze structural conditions and spatial relationships. This model provided a reliable technical foundation for renovation decisions, enabling accurate planning of structural adjustments, daylight optimization, and integration of new spatial elements while preserving the original architectural character.
- Operation and Interaction
- Traditional Huizhou architecture often limits daylight and airflow, creating enclosed and humid interiors. Responding to contemporary living needs, the design optimizes window proportions, introduces a transparent courtyard glass volume, and adjusts structural layouts to enhance ventilation and light. These strategies strengthen the interaction between users and the site, allowing occupants to experience landscape views, seasonal changes, and natural climate conditions within daily living activities.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project is located in Huangshan, Anhui Province, China. The design commenced in April 2024, construction began in August 2025, and the project is currently under construction.
- Specifications
- The project has a total building area of 1,432 square metre and a landscape area of 2,100 square metre. The building comprises three floors with an overall height of 10.6 m. It accommodates nine guest rooms, two dining areas, and a ground-floor public activity zone, integrating hospitality, leisure, and communal functions within a unified spatial framework.
- Keywords
- Huizhou Architecture Heritage, Adaptive Renovation, Light Intervention, Sructure Renovation, Landscape Design
