Diébédo Francis Kéré, a Burkinabè architect who won the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2022, explains his philosophy. He is notable for developing several schools and medical centers in Burkina Faso and around Africa, as well as the Benin parliament building. He aspires to develop high-quality structures that inspire others.
“Architecture is essentially a service to mankind; it creates an atmosphere in which a human being can develop, be happy, and experience what I call wellbeing,” he stated.
Kéré stated, “In terms of quality, I believe that everyone deserves luxury. As a result, both the poorest and the wealthiest are affected.” I want the user to be inspired by my structure. The goal is to make the user happy. “
How may the evolution of Chinese architectural cultural symbols be influenced by the construction of rural architecture?
China’s sheer immensity results in a wide range of customs and environmental conditions. Each region has its materials, building techniques, and climate adaptation strategies. In rural houses, the regional peculiarities of Chinese architecture are often retained. Earthen construction, being one of the oldest traditional technologies, has been widely used across China for thousands of years. According to the most recent figures, at least 60 million people in China continue to live in traditional rammed-earth houses, the majority of which are found in impoverished and rural areas.
1. Integration with the natural environment
The rural allure stems from its natural surroundings. Rural places’ simplicity stems from their cohabitation with nature, as contrasted to the city’s ubiquitous artifacts. Local materials have specific natural qualities and employing them reduces construction costs while providing the structure with the power of dissipation, allowing it to fit in with its surroundings.
Macha Village Center / Oneartharch architect
Macha Village is in Gansu Province’s Huining County. Macha Village is located on the loess plateau in a dry ravine. The hamlet has a severe shortage of water resources when it comes to drinking water. The principal material used in the construction of local homes is earth. Brick masonry, traditional rammed earth, cob, and timber structures are the most common construction methods. The recreation facility is situated on a sloping slope with a 20-degree incline. The hillside faces east, providing a nice view of the valley and a magnificent environment. The triple house courtyard, which overlooks the eastern valley, is surrounded by four distinct heights of earth dwellings. All of the construction materials and soil are obtained from the surrounding environment, and the act of obtaining them is also a modification of the nearby area.
2. Preserving the rural fabric
As a result of long-term growth and evolution, traditional villages have a strong sense of oneness and cooperation with the local habitat and topography. Modern buildings, whether new or restored, should be located in such a manner that they respect and perpetuate the original pattern and texture while also blending in with the natural surroundings and old structures. Fresh structures can breathe new life into the countryside, but their incongruity should not be permitted to harm local culture.
Librairie Avant-Garde, Chenjiapu Civilian Bookstore / AZL Architects
In Nanjing, Librairie Avant-Garde is a successful urban library bookshop with a large following of dedicated customers. The remodeling project was carried out on the ancient site of the villagers’ hall, and it took the shape of a two-story area of 11 x 18 meters. In the southwest corner of the structure, a box was erected, as well as a terrace with a view from the top. The hall structure has now become more open to match the surrounding landscape’s openness. The emphasis on the functional concept of “meditation” at this stage brings the library’s somber and ceremonial ambiance to a close. Conventional timber constructions include a modest quantity of fully transparent or semi-transparent materials, like glass and solar panels, as a background. The architect’s goal was to build a vibrant environment, using the Avant-Garde Chenjiapu bookstore as a window into envisioning this amazing sight, giving tourists and inhabitants fresh perspectives on the town, nature, and the world.
3. Traditional space translation
Wandering around a village’s entrance, chatting under a large tree, and staring up at the sky framed by a patio. These are the recollections of a village’s communal space. If a design may improve living circumstances while remodeling conventional space. Sharing a unique moment with numerous generations is the finest way to inherit and continue. By actually preserving the villagers’ way of life, the new design will offer them a sense of belonging.
Bamboo Theatre/ DnA Architects
Bamboo has been lauded in poetry for its flexibility and strength as a significant Chinese cultural icon. Inspired by these traits, DnA Architects created a theatrical stage for the community of Hengkeng. The usage of bamboo creates a dazzling green lighting effect in the theatre. Sitting in a bamboo grove and seeing a stage play transports people back in history as if they were living freely and naturally like the “seven sages of the bamboo grove.”
4. Climate change solution
The structure is warm during the winter and cool in the summer, and it can survive harsh weather, ensuring a pleasant atmosphere. Natural ventilation is more cost-effective when it comes to sustaining rural constructions.
Qingshan Village
Qingshan hamlet, about 40 kilometers northwest of Hangzhou, is shaped like a Y in a rolling valley, surrounded by lush trees and pure air, and exudes a sense of heaven on Earth. Qingshan Village consolidated watershed management and minimized agricultural contamination caused by forest operations. Qingshan Village began its journey to investigate the development of local enterprises in the fields of traditional handicrafts, environmental education, and eco-tourism once pollution was reduced and water quality was restored. Creativity, technology, and ethnic diversity are all part of it.
5. Villagers’ involvement
Rural architecture is an example of how residents in rural areas may improve their quality of life. The villager’s participation in this process is critical. Villages have a greater sense of identity and belonging than city communities. Villagers’ input, ideas, and participation in the construction of new structures are quite valuable. Villagers will look forward to a better life in comfortable and attractive structures, and the inheritance and progress of technology will give them the confidence of their local culture while also allowing them to establish a better house in the future.
Village Lounge of Shangcun / SUP Atelier
The Shangcun village lounge is a repair project that transformed a destroyed courtyard into a communal area that provides leisure and multi-use space for both locals and tourists. Shangcun hamlet is located in Jixi County, Anhui Province, and has a history dating back over a thousand years to the late Tang dynasty’s initial immigration. The hamlet was developed near the mountains, allowing it to benefit from strong ecological resources while also preserving its historical assets, such as traditional dwellings, from urbanization. The whole construction process included contemporary bamboo structures while relying on local craftsmen’s traditional construction knowledge and practices. The villagers were fully involved in all aspects of the construction process, from site development to specific decoration, which triggered their interest and allowed them to contribute to the bamboo canopy’s design and construction while learning about modern and scientific building techniques and recreating traditional craftsmanship.
Because they have lived in the earth house for centuries, local villagers have a natural sense of cultural identity with it. However, as time passes, this awareness of cultural identity becomes weaker and weaker as a result of modernization. We are relieved to see that this recognition has returned.