Hao Zhong's The Ripple Hospice commands the visual field through its extraordinary spiral configuration rendered in warm honey-toned timber that rises organically from the urban fabric, the concentric

Hao Zhong's The Ripple Hospice presents an expansive interior characterized by an enveloping warmth generated through extensive deployment of natural timber surfaces that establish both structural and

Hao Zhong's The Ripple Hospice presents an interior sanctuary rendered in a carefully calibrated palette dominated by honey-toned blonde woods spanning wall-cladding, ceiling structure, integrated cab

Hao Zhong's The Ripple Hospice presents a profoundly contemplative interior sanctuary distinguished by its masterful synthesis of tectonic clarity, material warmth, and spatial serenity, wherein the c

Silver Architecture, Building and Structure Design · 2026

The Ripple Hospice

by Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu and Hao Zhong

A' Design Award 2026 Silver Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
Awarded April 15, 2026
Estimated Number of Design Views: 23,723
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About The Ripple Hospice

The Ripple is a hospice proposal structured by a concentric spatial system generated from a central water court. Located in Chinatown, New York City, the design redefines end-of-life care as an urban civic experience rather than an isolated institution. Layers of thresholds, courtyards, and timber enclosures guide movement from public life toward quiet reflection. Integrated daylight, water, and passive environmental strategies create sensory calm, supporting privacy, orientation, and emotional wellbeing through architecture itself.

The Ripple Hospice by Hao Zhong emerges as a profoundly considered meditation on the architecture of transition, care, and human dignity, positioning itself within contemporary discourses on therapeutic environments while drawing upon ancient traditions of the spiral as a symbol of life's continuous journey. The work demonstrates exceptional sensitivity to the phenomenology of healing spaces, where the gentle ascending pathway offers both physical and metaphorical movement through carefully calibrated spatial sequences that balance community with solitude, openness with enclosure. The technical achievement of the continuous spiral structure in warm timber speaks to advanced laminated wood construction methods while evoking craft traditions and the psychological warmth associated with natural materials in healthcare environments. The compositional intelligence lies in the work's ability to insert a distinctly contemporary architectural intervention into a dense historic urban fabric while establishing respectful dialogue through scale, material warmth, and the humanizing presence of natural elements. The central courtyard garden, glimpsed at the spiral's terminus, suggests a hortus conclusus, the enclosed garden of contemplation found in monastic and healing traditions across cultures. The water features surrounding the base create both visual and acoustic separation from urban activity while introducing elemental symbolism associated with purification, reflection, and the flow of time. The hospice typology itself invites contemplation of fundamental human experiences: care, companionship, the passage of time, and the dignity of transitions. One might observe how the building's form literalizes the ripple effect, suggesting that acts of compassion and care extend outward through communities and across generations. How might architecture participate in creating spaces that honor both life's continuity and its thresholds?

Press Kit

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.
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.
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.
Image Credits: Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu, Hao Zhong
Patents: Minghan Lin, Yuchen Qiu, Hao Zhong