Interview about Urban Prism House, winner of the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award 2025
Urban Prism redefines urban living by transforming zoning constraints into architectural possibilities. Its sculptural form responds to strict height and setback regulations, balancing spatial openness and privacy. The residence integrates layered volumes, boundary walls, and courtyards to optimize light, airflow, and privacy. Thoughtfully selected materials, textured fiber cement, solid wood, and high-performance glass, enhance the sensory experience while ensuring sustainability. A refined synthesis of modern architecture and Japanese principles creates a harmonious, adaptable urban home.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsThe strict urban zoning and setback restrictions initially seemed like obstacles, but they became the foundation of the design concept. The slanted walls and stacked volumes were generated directly from the legal height envelope, creating a sculptural form that captures light differently throughout the day. These constraints inspired a rhythm of light and shadow, transforming what could have been a limitation into the most defining aesthetic of the house.
The fusion of traditional Japanese sensibility and modern minimalism stems from the idea of “Ma” — the poetic interval between forms. While the exterior is defined by a bold geometric silhouette, the interior reveals a calm spatial flow reminiscent of tatami rooms and engawa terraces. This duality brings a spiritual balance to urban life, connecting residents to both the serenity of tradition and the clarity of contemporary design.
The design explores transitions rather than boundaries. Layered walls, courtyards, and narrow apertures create moments where the inside and outside blur. The courtyard acts as a visual buffer, filtering sunlight and air while protecting privacy. These gradations of openness cultivate a subtle dialogue between seclusion and exposure, allowing the inhabitants to experience changing atmospheres throughout the day.
Fiber cement panels were selected for their durability and texture, giving the facade a refined shadow expression under changing daylight. Paired with high-performance glazing, the materials enhance both thermal efficiency and visual comfort. This combination minimizes maintenance while providing a tactile contrast between the matte white exterior wall and the deep charcoal cladding.
The courtyard emerged as a response to the site’s density. Instead of opening toward the street, the house opens inward to a protected void. It extends the living area into the open sky, offering both daylight and a sense of retreat. Over time, this inner garden became a central breathing space—where the boundaries between architecture, light, and everyday life dissolve.
Lighting design was treated as architecture. The upward lights illuminating the black bamboo create a serene yet dramatic entrance sequence. Inside, indirect light gently reveals the texture of materials and emphasizes spatial depth. The balance between natural and artificial light was fine-tuned to shift the mood from day to night, enhancing the sense of calm and privacy.
Urban Prism House demonstrates how thoughtful composition can create livable spaces even under strict constraints. By reinterpreting setbacks, privacy needs, and light control as design opportunities, it suggests a new model for dense urban housing — one that values serenity, spatial richness, and individuality within compactness.
The 127.82㎡ floor area was organized vertically, with circulation designed as a continuous ascent. Each level offers a distinct function—living, sleeping, and contemplative zones—linked by light shafts that create a sense of movement. This layering of spaces ensures fluidity without sacrificing privacy, transforming compactness into a vertical landscape of experiences.
Through the experimentation with adjustable louvers and staggered wall planes, I learned that urban privacy is not about complete isolation but about layered perception. By filtering views and modulating transparency, residents gain control over how they are seen and how they see the world—a form of spatial empowerment in dense living environments.
The atrium acts as the home’s environmental lung. Its vertical void channels sunlight deep into the core while enabling natural ventilation through the stack effect. Seasonal changes alter the quality of light—soft in winter, sharp in summer—making the interior subtly responsive to climate, enhancing comfort, and reducing mechanical energy use.
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