Uncertainty

Working in rural China is a laboratory for new ways of living and making architecture. These experiments embrace a lack of control within the flux of political, social, and economic uncertainties. The projects presented are examples of diverse explorations and situations, including urgent post-earthquake reconstructions, forgotten villages with left-behind craftspeople, and urbanizing transformations. The focus is on how each project engages with its own set of limiting factors or unideal conditions, turning these into novel building approaches. The differences in language and culture have been a source of constant miscommunication and surprising discovery, emphasizing drawing as a means of communication and design.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 10 June 2022
Publisher: Oro Editions

Working in rural China is a unique experience that defies easy categorization. It is a blend of contradictions, straddling the lines between rural and urban, traditional and modern. In some areas, you'll find abandoned villages, while in others, cities are springing up overnight. It is a living laboratory, where new ways of living are being tested and explored. Moreover, it has become a testing ground for new approaches to architecture.

Contemporary architecture since modernism's emergence has followed a trend towards control, standardization, and repetition. Our experiments, on the other hand, embrace a lack of control, taking place amidst the ever-changing political, social, and economic landscapes.

The experiments presented here are a selection from a series of design and build projects conducted by the Department of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong over the past decade. They showcase a remarkable range of explorations and situations. Some were urgent post-earthquake reconstructions, adapting to extreme topographies or taking place in the midst of massive urbanizing transformations. Others occurred in forgotten villages, where skilled craftspeople and their disappearing building cultures were still present. These forays and adventures in building resulted in a diverse array of experiments with structure, program, and materiality. While some of these experiments were successful, others failed, adding to the richness and complexity of the collection.

What sets this collection apart is its focus on the how rather than the what. Each project engages with its own set of limiting factors, be it climate, location, or historical context. The diversity showcased in these projects is a direct reflection of the incredible diversity of climates, locations, and conditions that underpin China's ongoing urbanization experiment.

In conclusion, working in rural China offers a unique opportunity to explore and experiment with new ways of living and making architecture. Our experiments embrace a lack of control, taking place within the flux of political, social, and economic uncertainties. The projects presented here showcase a diverse range of explorations and situations, reflecting the incredible diversity of climates, locations, and conditions that underpin China's ongoing urbanization experiment. By focusing on the how, these projects offer valuable insights into the limits.

Weight: 470g
Dimension: 122 x 206 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781954081185