Apartment Buildings from Circa 1980 - 1990 Be Redeveloped As a New Mixed-Use Residential Model in China?

How can existing ‘six-storey’ apartment buildings from circa 1980 - 1990 be redeveloped as a new mixed-use residential model in China? QIN Yao 1366239 Kerry Francis, Tony van Raat, Jeanette Budgett An explanatory document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Architecture (Pro.), Unitec Institute of Technology, 2013 Contents Research Question 4.3 History of Collective Housing in the 20th Century 26 Abstract 4.3.1 Le Corbusier & Unité d’Habitation of Marseille 26 1.0 Introduction 4.3.2 Narkomfin Building 28 1.1 Definition 4 4.3.3 Pruitt-Igoe 28 1.2 Chinese Collective Housing History 5 5.0 Design Process 1.2.1 Moving to High-rise Buildings 9 5.0.1 Concept outline 32 1.3 The Diseconomy of Population-overdensity in Chinese Cities 5.1 City Scale 33 10 5.1.1 Jinan 33 2.0 Project outline & Scope 5.2 Community Scale 39 2.1 Quality of Life 13 5.2.1 Northern Changsheng Community 39 2.2 Reuse of Buildings 15 5.2.4 Strategy 49 3.0 Methodology 5.3 Urban Block Scale 49 4.0 Existing Knowledge 5.3.1 Selected Urban Block 49 4.1 Chinese social spaces 18 5.3.2 The idea of communal spaces and pathways 51 4.1.1 Family 18 5.3.3 The final pathways 60 4.1.2 Siheyuan 18 5.4 Building Scale 62 4.2 Contemporary Chinese Debate 22 5.4.1 Selected building block 62 4.2.1 Wang Shu 22 5.4.2 Structure and Material 65 4.2.2 CSI Housing system 23 5.4.3 Reuse 66 4.2.3 Linked Hybrid & Steven Holl 24 5.4.4 The idea of communal spaces in a block 67 5.4.5 Strategy 68 5.4.5.1 Storage wall 70 5.4.5.2 Lighten corridor 72 5.4.5.3 Vertical courtyards 73 5.5 Unit & Detail Scale 74 5.5.1 Existing Units & Space Sequences 74 5.5.2 New Design Units 75 5.5.3 The Communal Hall 79 5.5.4 The most private communal space --- living room 80 5.5.5 The Double Layered Envelope 81 5.6 Re-evaluation 82 6.0 Conclusion 7.0 Bibliography 8.0 List of Figures 9.0 Appendix Insulae 89 Walter Gropius 89 Final Presentation 90 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my parents who offered me the information that I need to know the project. I would like to thank all my tutors who helped me throughout the entire project. I would like to thank Kerry Francis, Tony van Raat and Malcolm Walker who were interested in my project and came to China to visit my site. I would like to thank Kerry Francis, Jeanette Budgett and Brendan Smith who helped me with proof reading of my documentation. I would like to thank David Chaplin who took care of every student in the studio and answered every question. I would like to thank all my classmates. We are comrades in arms. 1 Research Question How can existing ‘six-storey’ apartment buildings from circa 1980 - 1990 be redeveloped as a new mixed-use residential model in China? 2 Abstract The housing industry sits in a significant position in both the Chinese economy and This project proposes a modern living model in China to be based on Chinese cul- in national life. ture and the look at reusing the six-storey apartment communities built in the 1980s Residents are leaving their six-storey apartments for high-rise apartments just as and 1990s. The idea is to introduce a spacial system of communal life, which would years ago they left courtyard houses and moved into six-storey apartments. These enhance a sense of belonging and create a better living environment incorporating a common residential buildings, which date from before the 1990s are faced with demo- colourful social life for Chinese urban residents. lition across China just as years ago traditional houses disappeared. Contemporary Chinese architects are talking about the revival of Chinese culture, a culture that is based on family and homes. The house as such is a carrier of living history and culture. The evidence now suggests that the internet does not isolate people from community, but may well enhance community.[1] However, in a developing society, citizens living in the same community no longer know each other and seem even less likely to communicate with neighbours in the same block. It is the contemporary habitat that has lead to the loss of a traditional harmonious social life.[2] These new Chinese residential superblocks with high-rise apartments are not replacing traditional living structures and creating closer neighbour relationships. Communal spaces of quality which fit contemporary communities are urgently needed. [1] Barry Wellman, “What is the internet doing to community - and visa versa”, New Urbanism and Beyond: Designing Cities for the Future, Tigran Haas, ed., (New York, Rizzoli), 2008, 223. [2] Wang Shu, Iterview by Jiefangzhoumo, 2013, Accessed May 23, 2013. http://zhouwy1221.wap.blog.163. com/w2/blogDetail.do;jsessionid=D2BD85435215E23385E86FE5DAEB3EDB.blogp16v1-8010?blogId=1 229270427&hostID=zhouwy1221. Fig.1 Existing six-storey community Introduction 3 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Definition Collective housing includes multi- storey buildings and high-rises. Apartments, flats, townhouses and housing complexes are all defined as collective housing. One of the most influential modern examples is Le Corbsier’s Unité d’Habitation in Marseille (1952). Insulae in ancient Rome are the earliest recorded example of apartment buildings. During the 1930 CIAM[3] meeting, Walter Gropius suggested that 10 to 12 storey apartments would be a biologically-correct contemporary housing model for Germany, which would also work to stop urban sprawl.[4] Fig.2 Chinese Collective Housing [3] Congrés Internationaux de l’Architecture Moderne. [4] Jeffry M. Diefendorf, “From Germany to America: Walter Gropius and Martin Wagner on Skyscrapers and the Planning of Healthy Cities”, German Historical Institute Bulletin Supplement no.2 (2005), 33. 4 Introduction Fig.3 Chinese Collective Housing History Timeline 1.2 Chinese Collective Housing History In the 1910-40s, due to a growing population, many Chinese residential houses tiered hierarchical ladder, linking each individual with the central Communist Party were subdivided into blocks, [5] which were occupied by multi families. By the 1950s infrastructure. It was a product of a centrally planned economy. As a fundamental cell however, China was facing an unprecedented housing shortage. The per-capita living in the centrally planned operation system, danwei have relatively independent politi- space in many cities was less than 4 square metres.[6] In common with many Asian cal, economical and social functions. countries, China constructed enormous numbers of apartments. A big change took In terms of the architecture, the yuan or, courtyard in English, is a traditional Chi- place in Chinese residential history, the rise of collective housing. China did not have nese residential architectural form. It contains the meaning of “family”[9] in terms of a this kind of residential building until the 20th century[7]. spiritual perception and is an enclosed space. As a space prototype, the yuan holds an In the 1950s China was governed by a centrally planned economic system learned irreplaceable position in Chinese architectural theory, and is exemplified in the Forbid- from the Soviet Union[8]. A danwei or a work unit is a place of employment in China. den City and Beijing city planning[10]. Workers were bound to their work unit for life. This acted as the first step on a multi- In the early 1950s, several community theories contributed to the birth of the Chi- nese danwei dayuan. The first generation of Chinese architects who came back from [5] MVRDV, The Vertical Village: individual, informal, intense, (Rotterdam: NAI Publishers, 2012), 74. [6] Zhen Shi, Beijing Spring, April, 1998, early edition, sec. Dec. 2003, http://beijingspring.com/ America introduced Clarence Perry’s concept of the ‘Neighbourhood Unit’ to China. bj2/1998/240/20031211210135.htm, (accesed June 23, 2013). [7] Except for Fujian Tulou of the 12th century which does not quite match with the definition of collective housing as there is only one family living in each of Tulous. [9] The meaning of family will be described in the following chapter. [8] �iao Yongxue, “History Flux of Beijing Unit Yard and its EffEffect ect on Beijing Urban Space,” Hua Zhong Jian [10] Zhu Wenyi, “跨世纪城市建筑理念之一 --- 从轴线（对称）到'院套院’ (One of China’s Cross-century Urban Archi- Zhu 34, no. 5 (2004): 120-124. tecture Theory, from Axes to Courtyards)”, WA magazine, no.1(1997), 67-69. Introduction 5 MULTI-STORY SIHEYUAN HIGHRISE Fig.4 Chinese Residential Dwelling Changes Russian advisors then brought the idea of the Superblock Schema[11] and a living simple solution to the problem, This kind of community spread throughout China until model called a ‘Microdistrict[12]’. Having learned from the Soviet Union, the Chinese the 1990s. established a Chinese-style, urban, collective-living compound: the danwei dayuan[13]. The Danwei Dayuan, which resembles a mini-city, is similar in form to the ancient Dayuan means “huge courtyard” and these covered a large area and were encircled Chinese walled city[15]. They are planned structures that include offices and factories by walls containing a few gated entrances. This term means ‘gated communities’ in as well as residential areas, and they offer communal services such as kindergartens, English. clinics, eateries and grocery shops as well as many other kinds of urban service facili- In the late 1960s, the old Asian urban villages experienced a physical decline, with ties.

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