Date 7.8.2024

Location Hong Kong

The Book House Project, led by Prof. Peter Ferretto and his team at Condition_Lab, has been awarded “Special Recognition” at the renowned Don Norman Design Award (DNDA). The project comprises the Gaobu Book House and the Pingtan Book House, two innovative architectural ventures aimed at integrating play, reading, and cultural preservation within rural communities.

Located in Dong minority villages in Hunan Province, China, both the Gaobu Book House and the Pingtan Book House showcase distinctive design approaches. For the Gaobu Book House, the design team drew inspiration from the traditional Dong house “Ganlan” style, utilizing local timber and collaborating with local workers. A central staircase, significant in Dong daily life, was constructed to facilitate circulation and serve as a focal point for the building. The ground floor functions as a covered open space for public gatherings and local exhibitions, while each wall above is dedicated to a specific educational theme with bookshelves. This project was acknowledged in the "Completed Buildings – Civic and Community" category at the World Architecture Festival 2019 and received a Bronze Award in the DFA Design for Asia Awards.

The Pingtan Book House, on the other hand, features two interwoven spiral staircases forming a double helix that serves as both vertical circulation and seating for children, surrounded by walls filled with books to create a dynamic reading and play environment. Following the traditional Dong House typology, the Book House incorporates a tiled pitch roof and a mortise and tenon timber construction system of interlocking columns and beams. This project was honored with the “World Interior of the Year” Award and the “Best Use of Natural Light” Prize at the World Architecture Festival 2022.

The Don Norman Design Award celebrates design that is meaningful, sustainable, and humanity-centered, inspired by Don Norman's principles outlined in "Design for a Better World: Meaningful, Sustainable, Humanity-Centered." The award aims to inspire a new generation of designers and educators to create positive change through thoughtful and inclusive projects that enhance the well-being of humanity, considering diverse cultures, the environment, and all living beings.