Interview about Quiet Contemplation Residential, winner of the A' Interior Space, Retail and Exhibition Design Award 2025
Guided by Wabi Sabi aesthetics, this living environment traces back to nature and humanities, takes leisure and comfort as the main design axis, abandons complicated decorative elements, and highlights the owner's pursuit of natural and simple life. Slowing down the pace of the city allows residents to find a moment of tranquility in the daily busyness. The true essence embodies the exquisite charm of Wabi Sabi
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsWhen we started designing the " Quiet Contemplation House", our primary goal was to create a living space that allows people to slow down and return to the essence. The natural, quiet and imperfect beauty contained in the Wabi-Sabi aesthetics deeply echoes the owner's attitude towards life and becomes the core of the design. We abandoned excessive decoration and complicated lines and instead used natural materials such as mineral paint, stone, rattan, and logs to construct the spatial vocabulary, emphasizing the texture and temperature of the material itself, and conveying a subtle and pure beauty.In the process of cultural integration, we not only respect the spirit of wabi-sabi, but also integrate the functions and comfort required by modern life. For example, natural light is introduced through the patio design, and then combined with the lighting situation control system to create a static and dynamic atmosphere; the design of the line light has the function of guiding the movement line and lighting up the space. The stacking of these details allows the house to retain the tranquility and simplicity of wabi-sabi, and also meets the expectations of modern residents for comfort and practicality. In addition, the irregular curved lines in the space simulate the image of the cave, strengthen the feeling of nature and shelter, and make the house a place where the inside and outside are unified and the body and mind are settled. Such cultural integration is not only an expression of style, but also a practice of a life attitude - returning to reality and embracing the present.
In the design of the " Quiet Contemplation House", light and shadow are the key media for us to interpret the spirit of wabi-sabi. Inspiration comes from nature itself - we observe how sunlight passes through the woods and leaves shadows on the mountain walls and stone surfaces. Those undecorated but poetic changes in light and shadow make us realize that light is not only a tool for lighting, but also a soul that shapes the mood of space.Therefore, we deliberately introduced the patio design to make natural light a part of the space rather than an additional element. The sunlight falls from the ceiling of the terrace and wanders between the walls and the floor over time, bringing a sense of rhythm and vitality, and also creating a sense of time and space that can be quietly observed. This flow of light and shadow not only responds to the owner's original desire for a slow life and inner peace, but also echoes the praise of "traces of time" in wabi-sabi.We also use the lighting situation system and line light configuration to continue the light and shadow pulsation of the day at night, so that every moment has a different spatial expression. Light is no longer just an auxiliary, but the protagonist who guides emotions, allowing people to feel tranquility, thinking and self-dialogue between light and shadow, thus achieving a truly quiet living experience. This is exactly the design spirit we want to convey.
My study experience in Argentina gave me a deeper understanding of the narrative and emotional level of space. South American architecture emphasizes freedom and coexistence with nature, and often uses open structures, light and air flow to convey vitality. This design vocabulary has deeply influenced my grasp of spatial scale and rhythm in the future, and also opened up my interest in the dialogue between different cultural aesthetics.In the "Quiet House", I tried to combine the tranquility and restraint of the Eastern Wabi-Sabi aesthetics with the Western concept of emphasizing spatial tension and field transformation. For example, in the Eastern context, we emphasize blank space, simplicity and the real texture of materials; and from Western architecture, I learned to use light, movement lines and spatial levels to make the space more visually and perceptually deeper.This cross-cultural integration is not a superficial collage, but a search for a common spirituality from the essence - the pursuit of truth, freedom and concern for human life. During the design process, I constantly sought a balance between "stillness" and "movement", "virtuality" and "reality", so that the space retains the calmness and restraint of the East, and also has the modernity of the West's flexible use of space, thereby shaping a residence that can truly communicate with people's hearts.
In the " Quiet Contemplation House", we are committed to creating a living space where people can slow down and calm their minds. The introduction of the RGB situational lighting control system is one of the key designs that integrates modern technology with spatial emotions. Unlike traditional lighting that only provides brightness and darkness, we use the RGB lighting system that can adjust the color temperature and color to create a diverse and delicate spatial atmosphere according to the rhythm of day and night and the emotions of the residents.Such technology integration is not only an aesthetic tool, but also a guide to psychological rhythm. Soft warm light can help relax emotions and is suitable for reading, meditation or contemplation; while cool blue light is suitable for daytime work and awake time. Through the preset situation mode, residents can quickly switch the light source state according to the living situation, further achieving the life experience of "light changes with the heart".More importantly, this system does not conflict with the "wabi-sabi aesthetics" we emphasize.On the contrary, it becomes an invisible vocabulary of light, making natural light and artificial light complement each other, flowing quietly between walls, furniture and material textures, and strengthening the tranquility, simplicity and purity of the space. This operation method of drawing out emotions from technology is one of our practices to interpret the modern wabi-sabi spirit.
In the design of " Quiet Contemplation House", we always face a core challenge: how to integrate modern intelligent technology into the framework of "nature, imperfection and tranquility" emphasized by Wabi-Sabi aesthetics without destroying the harmony and purity of the overall space. To this end, we adopted the strategy of "invisible technology" and made the intelligent control system the core of the behind-the-scenes operation rather than the visual protagonist.All smart devices—including lighting situation control, heating and cooling air conditioning systems, curtain opening and closing, and voice control modules—are cleverly integrated into the building structure and furniture, keeping the walls and sights clean and tidy, and preventing the sense of technology from interfering with the tranquil atmosphere of the space. At the same time, we chose a very simple interface design to make the operation more intuitive and neat, and to integrate it into daily life without excessive learning.Wabi-sabi emphasizes "unnoticeable natural feeling", so we are also very particular about the combination of materials and light, so that technology and the environment can have a dialogue rather than conflict. For example, the collaboration between smart lighting and natural light from the patio not only improves comfort, but also interprets the breathing rhythm of the space over time.Such a design process is an art of balance - while retaining the spiritual core, modern functions are cleverly introduced to allow technology to truly serve life rather than dominate space, thereby realizing the modern wabi-sabi life ideal.
In the design of " Quiet Contemplation House ", we regard materials as the starting point of spatial language, which not only affects the visual presentation, but also touches people's senses and emotions more deeply. Our material selection logic comes from the in-depth thinking of "natural sensitivity" and "wabi-sabi spirit". Wabi-sabi aesthetics emphasizes the imperfect reality and the traces of time, so in the selection of materials, we tend to have natural textures, warm touch and materials that change over time.Mineral paint has a matte, fine and rough texture, which can create subtle changes in light and shadow on the wall, conveying a quiet and primitive atmosphere; stone retains natural texture and color difference, showing traces of time and natural carving, adding thickness and stability to the space; rattan and logs bring visual and tactile warmth, while being breathable and rustic, making the space more lifelike.These materials may seem undecorated, but in fact they form a highly coordinated dialogue through color temperature, texture density and scale. We also pay special attention to the interaction between light and materials at different times, so that the space can show natural rhythm and changes over time. Such sensory harmony is not only based on visual beauty, but also a design experience that is synchronized with the rhythm of life and can be touched and felt.
The original intention of the design of " Quiet Contemplation House " is to create a place for residents to slow down and return to their inner selves in the bustling city. In order to achieve such a rhythm of life, we started with the movement line and space layout to reconstruct the relationship between space and people.First, in the planning of movement lines, we adopted the strategy of "slow guidance", abandoning the linear fast-pass design and replacing it with soft curves, turns and blank spaces, so that people can naturally slow down their pace while moving and stay at various transition nodes. These transition spaces are not only movement line connections, but also nodes of emotional transformation, allowing people to have a moment of precipitation in their daily lives.Secondly, in terms of spatial layout, we emphasize "open but not empty, separated but not continuous", using low furniture, transparent materials or half-height partitions to separate functions and situations, maintain a sense of visual penetration, while retaining privacy and layers, so that the space still has a sense of rhythm in the flow. This gentle and orderly spatial rhythm creates a psychological "relaxation".With natural materials, soft light and shadow and minimalist colors, the overall space is no longer driven by function, but guides residents back to the rhythm of feeling, breathing and meditation, gradually diluting the compactness and oppression of urban life, and then constructing a daily life state with more depth and rhythm.
In the " Quiet Contemplation House ", the introduction of arc vocabulary is not only an aesthetic choice, but also a spatial solution developed to address technical limitations. Due to the problem of insufficient floor height in the original building conditions, if traditional horizontal or right-angle lines are used, the space will easily appear oppressive and heavy, affecting the living comfort and visual extension. Therefore, we turned to use "arc transition" to redefine the high and low rhythm of the space.The soft connection between the curved ceiling and the wall not only effectively "hides" the beams and equipment pipelines, but also creates a sense of continuity and envelopment when the line of sight flows in the space, further weakening the visual pressure caused by the height limit. This kind of curve language also echoes the spirit of "natural, imperfect, and seamless transformation" in the wabi-sabi philosophy, shaping a stable, soft, and quiet space atmosphere like a cave.In addition, these curves also show subtle light and dark gradients under the projection of light, giving the space a soft shadow and depth, adding a sensory layer. Through this approach, we not only solved the technical limitations of the structure, but also continued the overall design vocabulary, achieving a high degree of integration of form and function, making the space both reasonable, comfortable, and poetic.
The A' Design Award for Quiet Contemplation Residential is not only a recognition of the design quality of this project, but also a positive response to the future direction of residential development. This project proves that even in the contemporary highly technological living environment, it is still possible to achieve a balance between technology and nature, function and sensibility through restrained and introverted design language.We take the wabi-sabi aesthetic as the foundation, and combine it with modern facilities such as smart lighting and whole-house control systems, but do not let technology take over the show, but let it hide in the space and quietly serve life. This design strategy has important implications for future residential design - technological progress does not have to be equivalent to coldness or complexity, but should respond to human nature and emotional needs, and enhance the warmth and depth of space.I believe this case will encourage more designers to break away from the traditional style framework and think about how to construct a more rhythmic and spiritual residential space through material selection, light processing and intelligent system integration. It shows us that a truly profound design is not about stacking technology or form, but about finding a harmonious state of quiet symbiosis between people and space, technology and nature. This will be an important direction for future residential design.
Transforming the abstract philosophical concept of "inner peace" into concrete architectural elements is one of the most challenging tasks in the design of "Quiet House". Starting from the core spirit of Wabi-Sabi aesthetics, we emphasize simplicity, nature and traces of time to create a spatial atmosphere that can resonate with the soul.First, we abandon unnecessary decorations and focus on the texture and texture of the material itself. We use natural materials such as mineral paint, stone, and logs. These materials have warm and imperfect textures, symbolizing the reality and changes of life, so that residents can feel a natural sense of relief and settlement.Secondly, the layout and movement line design of the space deliberately guide the slow pace, through the soft arc structure and blank space, to create a sense of coverage and visual extension, so that people can relax and settle in the space. The use of light is even more critical. We use the natural light of the patio and the adjustable lighting system to create the rhythm of light and shadow flow, symbolizing the passage of time and the tranquility of the moment.Most importantly, we communicated deeply with the owners during the design process to understand their inner feelings and life needs for "peace", so that the space is not only a visual enjoyment, but also an emotional and spiritual sustenance. This design concept allows "inner peace" to be concretely presented in the building through every detail and atmosphere.
Dive into a world of design excellence with our curated highlights. Each feature showcases outstanding creativity, innovation, and impact from the design world. Discover inspiration and learn more about these incredible achievements.
