2020 24th International Conference Information Visualisation (IV)

Identify and Elucidating Urban Village Essentials Through Remodeling and Visualising a Social Housing Prototype in Guangzhou for Sustainable Residential Development in China

Shiran Geng Hing-Wah Chau Se Yan College of Engineering and Science College of Engineering and Science Faculty of Architecture, Building and Victoria University Victoria University Planning , Melbourne, Australia The University of Melbourne [email protected] [email protected] Melbourne, Australia theseyan@gmail .com

Abstract— There is currently an urban housing or commercial use, but it was quite difficult to do so due to crisis affecting low-income people across China. Due to the regulations on land ownership [1, 2]. I In some cases, the need for high-density public housing, it is becoming farmers were able to form collectives and retain land increasingly common to demolish urban villages in order ownership for developing their own dwellings. to build denser and higher social housing towers for low- Urban villages attract low-income migrants, young income people. However, in addressing the need for new workers and fresh graduates to live. The reason for their housing for low-income people, the social and cultural popularity is not only because of the affordable rents but aspects of urban villages should be duly considered. also because of their convenient locations in the city centre. This paper aims to identify and elucidate the It is also worth looking at the social and cultural aspects of salient features of urban villages based on case studies in urban villages. They are organic, unique, self-supporting Guangzhou and then use these to formulate sustainable and diverse. Some of these villages have become art strategies for new housing typologies in contrast with the districts and mixed-use zones with thriving economic conventional development approach of having activities for people working and living in the same residential towers. Indeed, dense mid-rise dwellings that neighbourhood and community [3]. retain the mixed functions of communal, social and In order to understand the history behind the commercial gathering spaces as found in the urban formation of urban villages and the current existential villages would foster the formation of communal living threats they face, it is vital to understand the household environments among residents. After identifying the registration (hukou) system in China and how it relates to salient features of urban villages, this paper proposes a the urbanisation process. There are three types of household new social housing typology that is visualised through registration in China. Before 2014, Chinese citizenships computer 3D modelling and rendering. were strictly classified as non-rural and rural. It was This research acknowledges the pressing generally difficult for a rural hukou holder to obtain a city housing needs in China and explore an alternative hukou [4]. Since 2014, rural hukou holders have been housing approach that is environmentally, socially and enabled to obtain urban hukou if relevant requirements are economically sustainable, which addresses housing needs satisfied. As the number of urban hukou holders increases, with due consideration of the social and cultural site more social housing units are required to be provided by the contexts. government. [5]. New social housing projects are proposed to be built at the existing urban villages, but once the demolition of urban villages starts, people who cannot Keywords— visualisation, urban village, Guangzhou, afford to live elsewhere will eventually be forced to leave social housing, sustainable housing the city. With regards to the future of urban villages, NTRODUCTION I. I developers and conservation groups hold contradicting Amid extensive urbanisation in China, urban villages views. Some researchers and architects recognise the (chengzhongcun) were formed because of the transformation social-cultural significance of the urban villages, which are of farmlands into mid-rise, high-density residential blocks, well-established communities and neighbourhoods [2]. In which accommodate mostly low-income migrant workers. contrast, developers and governments in China are eager to These informally settled residential areas were developed demolish existing urban villages to make way for newer, from the former village land, thus being known as ‘urban denser, glittering high-rises [6]. The aim of this study is to villages.’ learn from urban villages for developing an alternative One of the most rapidly developed regions in China sustainable development model. in the last two decades was the Pearl River Delta. As Guangzhou city expanded, the government attempted to occupy farmlands and convert them into either residential

978-1-7281-9134-8/20/$31.00 ©2020 IEEE 609 DOI 10.1109/IV51561.2020.00106 II. IDENTIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS AND ELUCIDATE SALIENT FEATURES OF URBAN VILLAGES C. Community Formation with Sense of Belonging In order to understand and learn from urban villages, Urban villages in China may be described as it is essential to identify their key elements in terms of informal settlements by some researchers [7], but social spatial flexibility, street-level interactions and community benefits that urban villages offer should not be ignored. In formation leading to a shared sense of belonging among urban villages, communities can often be easily formed residents. based on either provincial kinship or regional cultural A. Spatial Flexibility background of migrants who are the majority of residents. Most of the urban village communities are mixed They prefer to live in close proximity to one another for used. Most commercial activities take place on the ground social bonding and mutual support. Urban villages provide and first levels, such as shops, motel receptions, community a home-like environment with a sense of belonging for centres. These spaces are highly flexible and responsive to residents from various demographical backgrounds at different user groups and events that are spontaneous or affordable rents [8]. The high accessibility of public and organic. For instance, a shop on the ground level can be social services and proximity to city-centre locations, used as a restaurant in the daytime and converted into a workplaces and other community activities are all crucial social hotspot for residents to gather at night. Some open factors for urban village residents. These residents living in spaces may function as a vegetable market during afternoon the urban villages make up the labour market of Chinese and then turn into a busy public square at night. front-tier cities and often cannot afford to pay higher rents elsewhere close to the city centre. Residential and commercial units often co-exist Urban villages are often communities without within the same building. Residential units often occupy physical boundaries or gates. This contrasts with most new the second level and above. Removable walls are utilised to residential developments in China, which are almost all maximise flexibility and interchangeability of space. There gated communities. Compared with these gated is an inherent lack of regulatory mechanism for any communities, urban villages are more open and diverse, development within the urban villages without applying which foster the formation of various communal activities planning or building permits For example, a 40 m2 and integration. A gated community often only provides residential unit is not confined within a single level and can residents with some basic services within the gate, but not be converted from a studio flat to an one-bedroom or even self-sustaining, so residents need to go out to work and a two-bedroom apartment. This level of flexibility is study. However, urban villages are mixed-use in nature, essential in sustainable development. As families grow and providing education, medical, retail, leisure and religious then shrink over time, current residential design can learn activities. Some researchers consider urban villages as from urban village in how to respond to changes with ‘supplementary’ spaces to surrounding urban development spatial flexibility at a minimal cost. because they offer a variety of affordable daily necessities, products and services to residents and communities around, including neighbouring gated communities [9]. B. Street-level Interaction Research by Khder et al. investigated the impact of physical elements of streets on walkability [10]. Green III. REMODELLING SOCIAL HOUSING PROTOTYPE IN GUANGZHOU USING A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH space, open space and other features of streets have a significant impact on residents’ walking route choices and After identifying the essential elements of urban interactions in different areas. villages, we explore alternative prototype for sustainable In urban villages, most residents choose street-level social housing in China. Salient features of urban villages walking due to the following reasons. Firstly, walking is will also be examined in this new housing prototype. favourable because roads within urban villages are often A. Response to the Climatic Conditions of Guangzhou extremely narrow due to massive housing expansion and reconstruction. Secondly, most urban villages have a Due to unregulated , buildings in diverse range of public services and commercial shops on urban villages are often closely packed. The short distance the ground level, which facilitate pedestrians to visit and between the buildings results in poor daylighting and solar access Thirdly, urban villages have been evolved access to residential units. The situation is getting worse organically without any proper planning, so streets within when the internal layout is subdivided leaving no window urban villages are often in a labyrinth arrangement with for some residential units. The lack of daylighting and narrow lanes and alleys. Walking seems to be the easiest natural ventilation pose both psychological and health risks way for wayfinding by residents who are more familiar to residents. [13]. The living conditions are even worsened with the place during the summer due to the high humidity and High-rise developments are now the most common housing temperature of the subtropical climate of Guangzhou. [14]. typology in Guangzhou to cope with the growing population In response to this issue, three key design strategies demands. In order to maximise the number of residential are proposed Firstly, buildings can be rotated 45 degrees for units that can be provided on any given parcel of land, having more solar exposure. This strategy has already been developers often build high-rises. This study explores how implemented in some high-rise buildings in Guangzhou to increase the housing density and maintain street-level (Fig. 1). These high-rise buildings often have shared core in activities for creating a more engaged community. the middle, which connects four wings. These wings are

610 often twisted 45 degrees to have more facades exposed to sunlight. Secondly, atriums or openings extending from roof level to ground level can allow sunlight to penetrate to the interior of buildings. An example can be seen in the Nightingale model of urban housing in Melbourne [15]. Finally, skylights can be introduced for inviting sunlight to residential units under the roof.

Fig.3 Diagrams showing how modular construction can facilitate different functions on first and second level (public levels)

Fig. 1 Diagrams showing how the new prototype response to Guangzhou’s environmental condition.

B. Response to Non-regulated Construction Fig.4 Drawing showing different types of balcony that can be achieved

Another critical issue of urban villages is unregulated extensions and alternations without regulatory mechanisms. The quality of work may be substandard with safety concerns. One solution to this issue is to develop modular construction prototype to suit various needs. Each unit is proposed to have a size of 30 m2 to facilitate family down- sizing or up-sizing (Fig. 2). Within one floor, all the walls are non-structural and can be modified easily. The modular structural frames and flexible wall panels are easy to construct and allow flexibility for residential and commercial purposes (Fig. 3). If families expand, they can Fig.5 Sectional drawing showing how the prototype can be flexible and choose to take a few wall panels down and rent adjacent inclusive for residents due to modular and prefabricated construction spaces to enlarge their residential units. In the proposed prototype, balcony space is also designed according to users’ needs. Some users may prefer to have more internal space without a balcony, or they may utilise the balcony space for greenery (Fig. 4). This design is inspired by characteristics of urban villages which allow users to have some degrees of design freedom (Fig. 5 and Fig. 6). The planning and construction of new housing prototypes need to comply with local regulations and unsupervised work is not recommended.

Fig. 6 Sectional drawing showing residential and commercial levels

C. Response to Materiality and Construction Methods The most common construction method in urban villages is concrete structural frames with infill-bricks. The proposed modular construction prototype involves steel

Fig.2 Floor plans (residential levels) with flexible units around 30m2 that structure and prefabricated modular concrete panels to allow family down-sizing or up-sizing enhance the quality of the work and shorten the duration of construction. Four types of wall panels are: solid wall, a wall with a door opening, a wall with a fixed window and a

wall with an openable window (Fig. 7). Residents can choose the combination of various panels to suit their actual needs. These panels were designed to be used for

611 residential, commercial and communal purposes, including childcare and senior centres. Modular prefabrication is now a widely accepted and well-established type of construction. Prefabricated modular construction not only minimises environmental waste, but also enhances environmental sustainability and save construction time, which suit the Chinese contexts [16] However, this method of construction has barely been used up till now in China due to various constraints [17]. Only some temporary housing accommodations for construction workers on-site regularly use prefabricated panels [16]. Since China is one of the biggest suppliers for constructing Fig.9 proposed senior community centre with modular construction prefabricated panels in the world, more prototype housing method applications could be implemented and further developed in the contemporary context. D. Response to the Lack of Green Space One issue that both urban villages and high-rise gated communities all face is the lack of green space. Urban villages often have limited or even no green space as observed during site visits in Guangzhou As Vujcic et al. suggested, lack of green space has influence on physical and mental well-being [18]. According to the planning guideline of China, the minimal green space allowed for residential community should be more than 25% - 35%, 25%-35%, depending on building height and [19]. In urban villages, such data is hard to gather, as the number of residents often remains unknown and fluctuating. Nonetheless, most urban villages have a sparsity of green space and in some villages, natural flora and green areas are non-existent. Researchers have stressed the importance of greenery in residential communities in China. New residential developments must follow the planning guideline of China to ensure the provision of sufficient green space. An experimental green roof on an existing urban village building (gang xia cun) was designed by ZHUBO Design In the proposed new prototype, a green roof is designed, where residents can have their vegetable patches (Fig. 8). Rooftop green areas can be allocated to individual households to improve the accessibility of greenery for each resident. Roof cover should be provided due to Fig. 7 Construction elements for the proposed prototype Guangzhou's weather condition. Another strategy that may be worth considering for future research is communal services on the roof level or ground level, similar to the Nightingale social housing developments in Melbourne [15].

Fig. 8 Interior perspective of a single residential unit

Fig.10 Rooftop with collective vegetable patches for residents

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