Back to Village - The possibilities of Bishan Village

Since Chinese economic reform began in 1978, Mainland China experiences rapid economic growth . Market competition took over the role of communist rationing system gradually. The wealth gap between cities and villages; coastal areas and inland areas widened over the next 3 decades. Limited by lands and population policies, inhabitants from remote settlements did not benefit from urbanization. Consequently, crowds of young labour forces moved towards metropolitan areas along the coastline to pursuit lives and prosperities. Thus, the conditions in suburban areas deteriorated from time to time. Despite decreasing population in the countryside, the scope of construction expanded in agricultural villages. A huge portion of abandoned land coexists with new apartment buildings.

Referred to the phenomenon mentioned above, I chose Bishan village, a typical village located at Yi County, Anhui Province of East inland area in mainland China. In recent years, some curators and artists have settled down there and showcased a number of exhibitions. Attempts to revitalize the village with these artistic and social moves have drawn attention to international medias such as NYtimes and Guardian. As an architect, I would like to address the issue of village renewal from the perspectives of suburban planning and suburban design.

My diploma project can be interpreted in 2 levels: design strategy and suburban planning that corresponds to both top-down and bottom-up approaches. At the strategic level, I proposed the erection of Bishan Convertor to absorb dispersed wastelands and abandoned buildings. It further transforms and reuses these lands resources with consideration of materiality and agricultural properties. At the planning level, I analyzed sub-typologies of villages so as to generate specific design schemes.