Kaffihus Hringur - Design Business Index

Kaffihus Hringur

Kaffihus Hringur offers a unique, sustainable experience for hikers on the Hverfjall Crater trek. Inspired by the tuff cone volcano, the circular coffee shop is a respite for weary hikers, with a warm, wood-toned interior and stunning views of Lake Myvatn. Sustainability is at the heart of the project, with features such as geothermal heat pumps and rainwater capture. The minimal-staff coffee shop offers a comprehensive sensory experience with a variety of coffee beans grown on volcanic soil.

Designed by Yuting Zhang

5.606 Views

Recognized by A' Design Award.

Yuting Zhang

Yuting Zhang is the co-founder of Studio RE+N, as an urban designer and architect, practicing in China and the United States. She is a Harvard GSD graduate, a licensed architect, and a LEED-accredited professional. Her design aims at formulating architectural strategy from the urban environment and its ever-changing conditions, delivering a unique identity while respecting the existing urban fabric, historical and cultural context with sensitivity, and specifying distinct human experiences. She won several international awards in architecture and urban design and served as a guest critic in Boston University, Northeastern University and BAC.

Yuting Zhang DBI Rating

A+++

2024

Impressive Rating

Highlights designers and teams who stand out for remarkable creativity, execution, and overall excellence, demonstrating a notable level of impact and aesthetic appeal.

Yuting Zhang has A+++ Rating, valid through 2024. A+++ stands for Impressive Rating. DBI Awards the A+++ Rating to entities demonstrating impressive displays of creativity, quality, and innovation in their design endeavors. This rating applauds a consistently strong capacity to resonate with diverse audiences and stakeholders, reflecting thoughtful artistry and adept problem-solving. This certificate is awarded following a rigorous evaluation process conducted by an esteemed jury panel, comprising experts from various fields such as journalism, academia, design, and entrepreneurship. The assessment adheres to a blind peer-review methodology to ensure unbiased evaluation. Entries are meticulously judged against predetermined criteria, with scores normalized and standardized for consistency. This process recognizes and celebrates impressive achievements in innovation, design quality, and creative capacity.

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Yuting Zhang Fields of Mastery

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About DBI

The Design Business Index (DBI) is a merit-based rating system and professional directory founded to address one of the design industry’s biggest challenges: the difficulty of reliably assessing a designer’s true capabilities before a project begins. Through its partnership with the internationally recognized A’ Design Award, DBI combines a rigorous blind review process with transparent evaluation criteria to transform subjective design quality into objective credentials. By featuring only those who have demonstrated excellence under these stringent standards, DBI ensures a carefully curated pool of top talent, where clients can make confident, data-driven decisions about creative partnerships.

Beyond its directory, DBI offers a comprehensive DBI Credibility Suite™ designed to help designers and studios stand out in an overcrowded market. Each DBI-rated professional receives authoritative certificates, digital assets, and rating logos that validate their skills and attest to their proven creative excellence. These tools seamlessly integrate into websites, social media, and marketing materials—reinforcing trust, credibility, and, ultimately, market value. Notably, DBI ratings remain valid for a two-year period, encouraging ongoing professional development and highlighting those who continuously push the boundaries of innovation.

By systematically reducing guesswork and eliminating reliance on subjective portfolio reviews alone, the Design Business Index creates a more efficient, trustworthy, and merit-based environment for both clients and designers. With DBI, top talent rises above the noise, clients gain peace of mind, and the entire global design community benefits from higher standards of creativity, innovation, and professional excellence.

Design Business Index champions design excellence, valuing official recognition from respected international juries over mere popularity. Our criteria focus on transparent, rigorous evaluations by peers, assessing quality, ethics, and innovation. Notably, the prestigious A' Design Award highlights truly exceptional projects, judged by academics, press members, and professionals using a documented scoring system. We exclusively feature professionals and studios that have earned at least one peer-reviewed award, particularly the A' Design Award, ensuring that our listings represent meritocratic accomplishment, innovation, and credibility.

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