First Place Winner
N-Oxygen Cycle Community
Design by
Yuan Xu, Zhihui Bai & Mohan Yang
“The "N-Oxygen Cycle Community" is a fascinating and promising attempt to address the challenges related to air quality and quality of life in dense urban areas. The idea of utilizing plants and microorganisms to recycle oxygen and carbon dioxide, as depicted, represents an innovative and ecological approach to urban design. It's an integrated and visionary design.”
-Antonella Marzi
Yuan Xu, Zhihui Bai & Mohan Yang
Yuan Xu, Zhihui Bai & Mohan Yang
Celebrating Creativity & Vision
Winner’s Spotlight: An Exclusive Interview
Discover the story behind the victory — from concept to creation.
Could you share your initial inspiration behind your design concept for this competition?
When we received this theme, we could not help but start to reflect on why the city has such a strong desire for green environment. Is urban greening really just to beautify the appearance of the city? If only as a cosmetic function, then the introduction of simple artificial plants seems to achieve the same effect, and its entire life cycle of the building, both acquisition costs and maintenance costs will be reduced accordingly. However, during the exploration, we gradually realized that plants not only have the function of decoration, but also can improve air quality by releasing oxygen, thus having a positive impact on human psychological state. The green environment is often accompanied by the appearance of oxygen enrichment, which makes people's mood more pleasant. On the contrary, the lack of green may lead to the emergence of "urban hypoxia", so that people tend to be depressed. Therefore, we believe that the material circulation and oxygenation cycle created by increasing the area of green space in the city is the real core value of urban greening. On this basis, we gave birth to our design inspiration, the N-0xygen Cycle Community, according to the mutual promotion equation between photosynthesis and aerobic respiration.
Biophilic integration was a central theme of this competition. How did you approach incorporating biophilic elements into your design to enhance the well-being and comfort of the residents?
In design, we are often faced with the problem of how to integrate nature and art. The combination of biophilic elements with other design elements could be one answer.
First of all, through the selection of wood, the planting of plants and the water system left outside the building, we integrate biophile elements into our building, which is used to balance the concrete and metal of modern cities, and bring people a closer feeling to nature. Plants, water and blue sky and white clouds can inject a touch of nature into the urban space, through these elements, create a fresh and natural atmosphere, make people feel more comfortable.
Secondly, the biophile elements we designed can also enhance the natural feeling and comfort of the space. For example, plants can absorb harmful substances in the air, improve air quality, and make people feel more pleasant. At the same time, plants can also add life and vitality to the space, creating a vibrant environment.
Sustainability was a key aspect of the competition objectives. Can you elaborate on the eco-friendly materials, energy systems, and water conservation strategies you implemented in your design?
Choice of environmental protection materials: The building facade material selection of solid wood and waterproof paint decoration. The choice of this material not only perfectly integrates the pulsation of nature in appearance, but also firmly practices the concept of environmental protection in building materials.
Energy system: Given Dubai's location in the middle of the desert, the climate is extremely hot and dry. Therefore, the building intends to build a complete cooling system with the help of vegetation growth and waterfalls flowing down the outside of the building, so as to enhance the superior feeling of the living environment and effectively reduce the frequency of indoor air conditioning.
Innovative water-saving strategy: Considering that there are plenty of water sources in the ditches around the site, the building uses the way of pipeline to introduce abundant river water into the interior to provide sufficient nutrients for watering plants. Water vapor, the final product of plant photosynthesis, will also feed back to nature and realize the beautiful vision of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
Functionality and comfort were highlighted as important criteria. How did you ensure that your design provided a functional layout, ample storage, and comfortable living areas while still prioritizing biophilic principles?
In the design process, function and comfort were not overlooked, and we adopted the following strategies:
1) Hierarchical sharing in vertical design: by analyzing the needs of different occupants, including age, living habits and social preferences. Based on this, the vertical zoning design aims to create a comfortable and convenient living environment for various residential groups such as the elderly, young people living alone, and families, and ensure that each residential group can find its own functional layout and social places.
2) Fine graphic design: The design of living space is further refined in the horizontal direction, and the living and storage Spaces are carefully planned according to the living characteristics of different occupants. The proportion of private space and public space is differentiated, and at the same time, each floor is in the organic gas circulation system, which brings an eco-friendly environment to the living space, and also reflects the biophilic design.
Ultimately, we hope to achieve a functional and comfortable living environment design, while also incorporating biophile principles into the design details. It is hoped that while improving the quality of life of residents, it also makes some positive contributions to the sustainable development of the city.
Considering the urban context, what challenges did you face in integrating nature-inspired elements into an urban environment, and how did you overcome them?
The main challenge we face is: how to achieve the close contact between people and nature in high-rise buildings, and keep this connection sustainable.
First, we adopted a sustainable design scheme in the atrium area of the building. Through the design of an efficient pipeline transportation system and garbage sorting and recycling balls, high-rise residents are provided with a participatory way to dispose of waste. This not only improves the efficiency of resource recovery, but also enhances residents' sense of participation and responsibility in environmental protection actions.
In addition, we have planned multi-functional public Spaces in the atrium, such as sales, leisure and exhibition areas. By introducing green plants into these Spaces, these public green Spaces not only provide residents with an opportunity to get close to nature, but also promote communication and interaction within the community, enhancing residents' sense of belonging and happiness.
Through the above strategies, natural elements are integrated into the urban environment, which realizes the modern and eco-friendly living space design, and brings practical environmental and psychological benefits to the daily life of residents.
Aesthetics played a significant role in this competition. How did you strike a balance between modern design aesthetics and the organic qualities of biophilic elements in your design?
We believe that biophile design is not only a functional pursuit, but also contains rich aesthetic value. People prefer biophile environments, not only because of their health benefits, but also because the natural aesthetics of such environments are deeply attracted to us. In the design process, we integrate modern design aesthetics and pro-biological elements, hoping to create a harmonious and symbiotic design language. The use of rounded shapes and smooth curves, in response to the natural organic form, meets the aesthetic needs, but also incorporates the environmental concept of gas recycling into the design. The final design results hope to give people a visual enjoyment of beauty, but also in the actual function of the environment to achieve affinity and respect.
Reflecting on the competition experience, what were the most rewarding aspects of participating in Yearning to Breathe 2023, and how do you think this competition has influenced your approach to architecture and design?
One of the most rewarding aspects of participating in Yearning to Breathe 2023 is that we combine biophile design principles with urban living environments to create a healthier and more comfortable living space for people. Through the use of ecological elements such as pipes and green plants, we realize the recycling of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the city and improve air quality, which is of great significance for alleviating the environmental problems caused by the process of urbanization.
The competition had a big impact on our approach to architecture and design. First, the experience gave us a deeper understanding of the concept of biophile design. We realized that in the process of urbanization, the connection between people and nature is crucial for people's quality of life, so more attention should be paid to the introduction of natural elements in the design process. Secondly, the competition also made us pay more attention to the importance of sustainable design. By using environmentally friendly materials, efficient energy systems and water-saving strategies, we can not only reduce the environmental impact of buildings, but also provide a healthier and more livable living environment for residents.
Looking ahead, how do you envision the impact of biophilic design on urban living, and what role do you see architects and designers playing in promoting this approach to sustainable and harmonious urban development?
We believe that eco-friendly design will play an important role in the future of urban life.
On the one hand, eco-friendly design can improve the quality of life and happiness of urban residents. By integrating natural elements into the urban built environment, people can get closer to nature and enjoy the beauty of nature. This helps improve people's mental health and life satisfaction.
On the other hand, ecophile design contributes to the improvement of urban environmental quality. By introducing elements such as green vegetation and natural light, the air can be purified, water quality improved, and a more pleasant climate can be provided. This helps mitigate environmental problems such as urban pollution and climate change.
Architects and designers play multi-dimensional roles. 1. They need to have a deep understanding of eco-friendly design concepts, and fully consider the introduction of natural elements in the design process, and how to maximize the ecological benefits of the building. 2. They need to actively advocate the concept of sustainable development, communicate the importance of eco-design to the public, and promote social awareness and action on sustainable development. 3. They need to constantly explore innovative design concepts and technical means to achieve a harmonious coexistence between city and nature.
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