Project
Retail
Cultural
Restaurants and Bar
Cafe and Bakery
Other
Status: built, 2023
Area: 70 sqm
Client: Artist Loft
Location: ShenYang
Photography: Topia Vision
We built a space that resembles an ultimate art gallery. Everything inside makes up a big complicated “device” for living and behaviors for living leave traces everywhere. A line separates the different functions of the space, countering ultra-simplicity and ultra-complexity, creating tension in a small space.
The “device” embodies the human behaviors that legitimize our existence and it “edits” the relationships between our actions. The “device” is complex, abundant, and human. It is beyond definitions upon first glance but we understand through its rich details of usage.
We use the different surface heights to define functions, providing various visual and spatial possibilities. The couch, the counter and the stairs are combined into one entity, connecting the floor, bed, and desk on the second floor through the spiral staircase. Secondly, we put five meters of void structure in the bathroom so that natural light makes its way in. Finally, the entire space is lit by one light tube that is controlled by sections. Through blurring and connecting between the floors, the layout personifies a revision of actions that make up a completed “device”.
The completed project shows a space that is extremely individualized and intimate. It is quirky and free, as a vivid extension of the inhabitors' life.
About
Founded by Kaiwen Zhao, Baicai is shaped by his interdisciplinary background in design and architecture. Zhao studied Industrial Design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Architecture at the Yale School of Architecture. He currently teaches in the Department of Industrial Design at RISD, and has previously taught at the University of Colorado Denver, lectured at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and served as a guest critic at Syracuse University.
Baicai approaches space beyond the conventional boundaries of interior design, bringing together architectural and product design thinking to address spatial questions. Through different scales of intervention, we explore the relationships between space, objects, and human behavior.
2026
Paris Design Awards Winner
2026
MUSE Design Awards Gold Winner
2026
Dezeen China Rising Firm of the Year
2025
POSITION Award China Best 100 Young Architect
2024
Guangzhou Design Week 40 Under 40
2024
AD China 100 YOUNG
2022-2024
Architizer Best Young Interior Design Firm Special Mention
2024
Forbes China 30 Under 30
2023
FRAME Small Residential of the year Shortlisted
2023
FRAME Award Best Emerging Designer Nominee
2023
APIDA Design Award Excellence Award
2023
FRAME Pop-up Store of the Year
2022
FRAME Window Display of the Year Shortlisted
2022
WYDF TOP 100 Designer
2022
Dezeen Award Shortlisted
2022
Architecture Masterprize Best of The Bests
2022
AD China 100 YOUNG
2020-2022
Architecture Masterprize Honorable Mention
2022
KUKAN Design Award Shortlisted
2022
DNA Award Winner in Workplace Design
2022
DNA Award Honorable Mention in Workplace Design
2022
DNA Award Honorable Mention in Showroom Design
2022
K-Design Award Winner
2022
Novum Design Award Gold Award
2022
Novum Design Award Silver Award
2022
IDA Design Award Honorable Mention
2022
FRAME Best of the Month
2022 April
Design for Asia Award Bronx Award
2021
Design for Asia Award Excellence Award
2021
IDEA Design Award Finalist
2021
Golden Pin Design Award Winner
2021
Golden Pin Design Award Honorable Mention
2022
by Tincidunt Nisl
2024
Ullamcorper Faucibus (Congue) Euismod, by Ligula Parturient, Bibendum Review Porta Libero
2023
Dictumst Tristique, Facilisis Magazine, Edition Two, Porta Libero
2021
Auctor Adipiscing Art Magazine, Porta Libero
2020
Sollicitudin Ornare Magazine,
Porta Libero
2020
by Tincidunt Nisl
2024
Ullamcorper Faucibus (Congue) Euismod, by Ligula Parturient, Bibendum Review Porta Libero
2023
Dictumst Tristique, Facilisis Magazine, Edition Two, Porta Libero
2021
Auctor Adipiscing Art Magazine, Porta Libero
2020
Sollicitudin Ornare Magazine,
Porta Libero
2020