HKU Bulletin October 2012 (Vol. 14 No.1)

Teaching and Learning “But no architects are working in this area. What has happened is that there has been only one type of generic building which is not informed by architecture and has nothing to do with traditional forms of building.” “I’m not saying the old types of buildings are always better, but vernacular architecture has its own way of adapting to the economic, material, social, technological changes around it. Here, when the change has happened so fast, it’s like a sudden break with the past.” Sustainable architecture Against this background, Mr Lin was approached in 2006 by the Luke Him San Charitable Trust to look at sustainability and architecture in rural China. They provided full support as he and his students developed a new prototype for a Chinese village house. Working in Shijia village in Shaanxi province, they started out with an open mind about what they would do. They spoke with donors, local government officials, and the villagers who favoured infrastructure such as new water pipes or a biogas project. And they looked at how the space in the village was used. “What we decided was, why not do a single house as a prototype, put all these great ideas in a small house and showcase it as an example,” he says. “Architecture can be part of the effort to change people’s perceptions about how things are done. That for me is the most important goal.” Students were sent into the field to document the buildings – how many old ones, how many new ones, the features of each building, how space was used, who was using it. This information was used to form the prototype. The house, which is made of concrete columns for earthquake resistance and mud brick for insulation, contains four courtyards that connect the indoor living spaces with the livestock areas. Biogas from the livestock waste is used in a methane cooker, flue gases warm the bed area, the roof is used to collect water, and there is a stepped area outside for drying crops. The rhythm of life Arthas Qian, who worked on the project during his final year of BA(ArchStud) in 2010–11, says the house is attuned to the seasonal rhythm of village life. “This house operates like an organic body. People want to stay inside in the cold of winter so there’s a well-heated bed – their way of living is to basically stay in one room. When spring comes, their activities expand.” The house was completed this year and, while the process of selecting the occupants is still underway, it has attracted international acclaim for its innovative design. It was declared the winner of this year’s Architectural Review House Award, ahead of entries that more typically feature private wealthy homes. “It was peer-reviewed, essentially,” Mr Lin says – and for him, this meant validation not only for the project, but the process, including the involvement of students and engagement with the community. “This project is a reflection on what role architecture and architects can play. The point is to provide alternatives,” he says. “Architecture is about choice and we’re offering something that evolves the traditional house into an alternative for a contemporary village house.” His next project will look at the whole village itself. Mr Lin, who also won an HKU Knowledge Exchange Award this year for his work with students in rebuilding a bridge in a Guizhou village and creating public space there, is considering how to reconstruct an entire village to resolve the conflicts of past and present, and diversity and conformity, that are pulling at China as it continues to develop. M The architectural impact of China’s economic development has largely been reported as an urban phenomenon in which money and people flow into cities and the cities undergo sometimes spectacular physical transformation. But what of the villages? Villages, after all, hold a special place in China, representing the tie to the land and the ancestral home. Money has therefore flowed back to them, but with far less impressive results architecturally. “Over the last 30 years, there’s been incredible pressure to build and a lot of construction has been going on. It eclipses the development in cities in floor area and scale,” says Assistant Professor of Architecture John Lin. " % + ( % % % # 8 8 4 ! % ) # ! $ % 3 ! L ) # & 3 ! % M 8 ) % , 6 N ! % O % % + ! $ + % A Vision between Concrete and Mud John Lin in the Department of Architecture has won a major international award for his prototype of a self-sufficient home in China’s rapidly evolving countryside, which he developed with his students. This project is a reflection on what role architecture and architects can play. The point is to provide alternatives. - ! $ + + - , 8 % % # , 8 + ! ) $ P ; K Q R G Q 31 The University of Hong Kong Bulletin October 2012