Factory City To Education City by Ying Bi and Siyu Bai Wins Bronze A' Design Award

Adaptive Reuse Project Transforms Industrial Heritage Into a Flexible Educational and Cultural Campus

COMO, CO, ITALY, June 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The A' Design Award has announced Factory City To Education City, a multifunctional theatre and campus project by Ying Bi and Siyu Bai, as a Bronze winner in the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category. The A' Design Award is one of the world's most respected and well-recognized design competitions, drawing entries from architects, engineering firms, and design studios across many countries. This recognition acknowledges Factory City To Education City as an exceptional example of good design, evaluated through a rigorous and impartial review process. The selection situates the work among a body of architectural achievements noted for their thoughtful development and professional execution.

This recognition holds relevance for the wider architecture community as adaptive reuse becomes an increasingly important response to questions of heritage, sustainability, and urban transformation. Factory City To Education City demonstrates how industrial structures can be reactivated to serve contemporary educational, cultural, and civic needs rather than preserved as static monuments. The project aligns with current industry practices that prioritize resource efficiency, spatial flexibility, and the integration of new construction with existing fabric. For practitioners, institutions, and communities, the design offers a practical framework for converting former production environments into living spaces for knowledge and public life.

The project transforms an industrial social-services complex into a modular educational campus inspired by Ivrea's industrial legacy and the social vision of the Olivetti factory city. Existing concrete buildings are reactivated through light interventions, while new steel structures house a theatre and multifunctional spaces. A connecting public spine integrates learning, culture, landscape, and civic life. The realization combines adaptive reuse with lightweight steel construction, employing modular frames, long span roof trusses, metal roof decking, insulated roofing, and perforated metal cladding. The theatre integrates acoustic wall lining, suspended acoustic reflectors, lighting grids, sprinkler coordination, and mechanical ducts within a clear structural logic.

This recognition may encourage further exploration of adaptive reuse strategies that balance preservation with intervention, supporting future projects that reconcile industrial memory with contemporary spatial needs. The achievement reinforces the value of treating heritage as a flexible foundation for new programs rather than an obstacle to change. For Ying Bi and Siyu Bai, the Bronze A' Design Award serves as motivation to continue developing thoughtful, contextually grounded architecture that contributes to education, culture, and public life.

Project Members
Factory City To Education City was designed by Ying Bi and Siyu Bai, who together developed the research, adaptive reuse strategy, modular steel construction approach, and the integration of theatre, learning spaces, and public circulation that define the project.

Interested parties may learn more about the award-winning work, view its details, and discover more about its designers at the dedicated page on the A' Design Award website.
https://competition.adesignaward.com/ada-winner-design.php?ID=182316

About the Bronze A' Design Award Recognition
The Bronze A' Design Award is granted to outstanding designs that demonstrate a high degree of creativity and practicality. Within the Architecture, Building and Structure Design category, entries are assessed against criteria including innovative use of space, structural integrity, aesthetic appeal, environmental impact, functional efficiency, material selection, technological integration, social relevance, and cultural sensitivity. The recognition highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively while addressing user comfort, energy efficiency, adaptability to change, and integration with surroundings. Designs receiving this designation are regarded as skillful and resourceful works that reflect the experience and imagination of their creators. The award acknowledges thoughtful attention to detail and the potential to influence industry standards in a positive manner.

About A' Design Award
The A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award is a highly esteemed competition that welcomes a wide range of participants, including architects, engineering firms, construction companies, and design brands. Entries are evaluated through a blind peer-review process by a world class jury panel comprising design professionals, architecture industry experts, academics, and journalists, who assess each submission against pre-established criteria. Organized since 2008 and now in its 18th year, the A' Design Award is an international and juried competition held across all industries, with participation open to entries from all countries. The ultimate aim of the A' Design Award is to recognize and promote superior projects that advance and benefit society, driven by a philanthropic mission to create a better world through the power of good design. Interested parties may learn more about the A' Design Award, explore the jury, view past laureates, and submit their own projects at the following url: https://architectureawards.org

Makpal Bayetova
A' DESIGN AWARD & COMPETITION SRL
+39 031 497 2900
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