House of Dreams wins Grand Prize at Human City Design Award by Seoul and UNESCO

We are proud to announce that the House of Dreams has won the Human City Design Award Grand Prize organised by the Seoul City Municipal Government, Seoul Design Foundation and UNESCO that recognises human focused design and sustainability values. Over 100 international entries were submitted in a three-stage award with international judges. The award was presented at the online award ceremony broadcasted from Dongdaemun Design Plaza in South Korea on 21 March that presented one Grand Prize, and 11 winning designs from eight countries.

The House of Dreams is a research by design project by the Insitu Project research platform led by Associate Dean Peter Hasdell of PolyU Design and Kuo Jze Yi of the School of Architecture and Urban Planning in Shenzhen U. The revitalised cave settlement in Zhoushan village in Henan Province, completed in 2020, was co-designed and implemented by Insitu Project together with Liang Jun, the Zhoushan Community Group and Dr Ku Hok Bun from APSS of PolyU.

The 3-year project involved participatory design and construction, social design, and design led social innovation through the alignment of social initiatives with the architectural revitalization of the cave area. The project used a circular material economy approach and was constructed by villagers from recycled construction and household waste. Fostering a bottom-up self-built approach enabled the community to reduce construction costs, increase skills and community pride, at the same time enabling a circular material economy which cleaned up the village as a result. The outcome is uniquely composed of thousands of details, stories and collective memories.

The Human City Design Award is one of four international awards the project has received within the past nine months. Other prestigious awards include the gold medal in the Taipei International Design Award 2021, the Architecture MasterPrize (AMP) award in 2021 and a Bronze in the Design Educates Awards 2022. The project was also shortlisted for a Dezeen award, and an Architecture in Development 2021 award.

Press Release | Instagram of Insitu

Architectural design and research team

Project and Research Leaders: Insitu Project: Kuo Jze Yi and Peter Hasdell

With: Zhou Zi Hau, An Tian Jian, Lee Chung Bun, Liu Min Hau 


Project partners 

Insitu Project
School of Design, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 

School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shenzhen University 

Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 

Liang Jun and the Zhoushan Community Group 


Project team 

Community Work: Liang Jun, Ou Yang Xiu Zhen, Dong Lin, Jin Dou Dou 

Solidarity Economy: Dr Ku Hok Bun (APSS, The Polytechnic University of Hong Kong) 

Zhoushan Rural Building Team: Yi Rong Liang, Zhou Hai Shan, Chen Guo Bin, Zhou Bao Liang, Wang Zhen Shan, Wang Zhong Shuan, Wang Jin Ping, Zhou Yin Mu, Wang Dong Biao, Sun Huan Ling 

Building Management: Feng Rui Fen, Wu Huai Zhen, Jing Qiu Feng, Hao Yu Zhi 

Community Association: Zhou Xi Chuan, Jing Xiu Fang, Zhou Xi En, 

Material Donation Representative: Yi Fang, Zhou Zi Yun, Zhoushan Village Party Branch Committee & Zhoushan Village Committee 

Interior Decoration: Evelyna Liang Yi Hu 

Volunteers: Wu Jun Ping, Keita Tajima, Tan Min, Li Dong Min, Aubrey Au, Chelsea Chan 

Project funders: The Li & Fung China Social Policy Research Fund and the Chan Cheung Mun Chung Charitable Fund