70%

/
[
/
/

The Question of Housing for 70%

of Humanity
Peoples Architecture
Hsieh Ying-chun, Architect

4/5

60

1999

At the time of its emergence in the interwar period, the modern architecture movement as represented by the Bauhaus was the first
instance of global architectural thought to combine ideals of modern industrial production with an emphasis on everyday relevance.
However, following the Second World War, modern architecture fell into a quagmire of formalism, with the advent of the 1960's
International style signaling its decline. The movement's turn toward consumer-oriented market systems created technical and
professional barriers which further alienated the public from architecture.
Beginning in 1999, Hsieh Ying-chun carried out several programs aimed at increasing user participation in architecture. He adopted
a social architecture practice which emphasizes site-appropriate technologies, community building practices, and sustainable
development. In his reconstruction efforts following natural disasters in Chinese mainland and Taiwan and in outlying ethnic
minority regions, as well as in his general practice of community rebuilding, Hsieh's designs reveal a sense of openness in structure
and work methodology. Residents are encouraged to participate in the process, allowing regional cultural diversity and local customs
to be incorporated and supported.
Contemporary architecture faces continual pressure from market systems and is submerged in the aesthetics of formalism. Hsieh
Ying-chun stands out for moving tirelessly against the current for being a particularly unusual brand of 'out of the ordinary'. With
that in mind, we have organized this exhibition to share the intentions and philosophy of this remarkable architect.
Shi Jian, Curator

10/11

Hsieh Ying Chun graduated from Tamkang University School of Architecture in 1977, and worked in construction for many
years before returning to the world of architectural design. His rich experience in construction initiated the deep reflections on the
industrialization of contemporary architecture spurred his revolution in architectural continuity.
Following the massive earthquake in Taiwan on September 21, 1999, Hsieh took his office to the Sun Moon Lake disaster area in
Nantou County, with its high population of Aboriginal Thao minority, to begin reconstruction efforts there. Guided by the simple
tools and environmentally-friendly materials in Thao buildings, Hsieh and his collaborators were able to complete reconstruction
within extremely tight economic parameters. In 2004, Hsieh traveled to rural areas of Hebei, Henan, and Anhui to promote
cooperative, sustainable building in the countryside to demonstrate a novel and effective integration of rural social and economic
conditions. In the wake of the devastating May 12, 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, Hsieh and members of his Rural Architecture Studio
aided in reconstructing homes for disaster victims in isolated mountain areas, beginning with the erection of more than 500 model
houses. When the August 2009 typhoon ravaged Taiwan's mountainous and riparian areas inhabited by indigenous minorities. Hsieh
was entrusted by a number of charitable organizations with the task of rebuilding longstanding tribal buildings and to work toward
permanent housing arrangements. Hsieh and his team rebuilt a total of 700 homes for members of 13 different tribal groups. In 2010,
he also completed work on settlements for Tibetan herders, among other projects.
1977

1999 9 21
2004
2008
5 12 500
2009 8
13 700 2010

70

Observers often connect Hsieh and his team with post-disaster reconstruction, or view them as 'humanitarian' architects. But it is
more appropriate to say that they have picked up the broken thread of Bauhaus modernism to develop housing projects of the people,
for the people and by the people, with an end of eventually guiding architecture toward sustainable development.
Over 70% of the world's population make their homes in rural areas. Under prevailing conditions of rapid economic development,
traditional lifestyles and values are falling by the wayside. Villagers adopt techniques and materials unfamiliar to them, and are
impoverished for life: the results new houses of reinforced concrete, brick, and tile are costly, vulnerable to earthquakes, bad for
the environment, unreasonable. Architecture professionals are out of their depth in this sphere, having never so much as tested the
water in this area before. Moreover, the issue of sustainable development ultimately concerns tests of survival for humanity as a whole,
challenging both generally-understood operational models in contemporary architecture as well as contemporary notions of value,
even aesthetics
With these predicating thoughts, Hsieh Ying Chun and his team proclaim that modern architecture is not a narrow matter of
technology; for it necessarily involves considerations of economic, sociocultural, and environmental issues. Through the use of local
source materials, low-cost building strategies and appropriate technologies, as well as the design of Hsieh's new, open, structural

systems, the team has considerably lowered costs and technological thresholds. Peasant farmers are able to participate in their own

modern home-building projects that also adhere to green, energy-saving, low-carbon standards, and vouchsafe the rights of members

of this disadvantaged group to live and to work with dignity. At the same time, design requires flexibility; architecture must reflect the

diversity of different regions and cultures.

To this end, architectural systems designed by Hsieh highlight the concept of intersubjectivity. A designer only provides a platform;

from this open platform, the builder and the user can contribute to the project's greater work, whether it be their own images of what

the project can become, or a specific standpoint of culture, environment, or faithall participants have the opportunity to develop and

to reflect the rich diversity of their particular place and background.

14/15

[ ]

1998 [ CIBInternational Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction, 1998]
[ ]

Community (rural, tribal) is the arena within which most people live their lives. Community architecture places particular strategic
significance on environmental protection, resource efficiency, and the raising of quality in the human habitat.
The core principle of sustainable community architecture is to release people from technology and commodity-dependency, to
deploy and integrate the vast available rural labor forces in concert with well-loved traditions in projects of mutual assistance and work
exchange, as well as to incorporate elements of environmental protection and diverse local culture, to establish self-reliant community
building systems, cooperatives and other small-scale local economic support systems.
In 1998, the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) drafted a framework for
sustainable architecture, shown here. [clockwise (large outside triangles) from top Left: economic constraints; social equity and
cultural issues; environmental quality; and (smaller insidetriangles) from top: resources; waste; biodiversity]

Practical Strategies
Environment
Economics

green architecture increase relevance to daily life, greater mass awareness

establish community self-reliant (non-dependent) building systems; employ excess labour power; use locally-sourced

materials in construction; reduce dependence on mainstream construction markets, reduce reliance on currency; simplify production
facilities; reduce capital investment.
Social and cultural

respect every person's right to work and subsistence; crystalize tribal community consciousness through resident

participation, mutual aid, and collective labour. The establishment of community consciousness is the foundation for protecting and
maintain cultural diversity.

16/17

[ ]

Completion of ideal architectural projects should not dependsolelyon the designer. For
large contributions in creativity and productivity can and should come from another
source the residents themselves. The designer merely constructs an initial platform for
which residents can release their innate talents and imagination.
This initial platform must be both open and simply-construct; besides these
characteristics, it must have room for resident participation and the rich, diverse features
that emerge therefrom.

Open Architecture

Space, structure, and structuring principles are open and

flexible: they should adapt to local conditions, incorporate local resources; deploy local
traditional materials and craftsmanship; and be flexible enough to shift dynamically in
response to changing needs.

Simple Construction Principles

Enable residents to use simple tools so

that even those not trained in architecture can participate in the construction; respect
the right of every person to life and to work with dignity; invest excess labour-power in
material processing and in construction; reduce dependence on mainstream construction

markets; reduce dependence on mainstream 'currency'; simplify production facilities and

equipment to decrease need for capital investment.

18/19

Under the principle of 'intersubjectivity', the professional only undertakes work of a limited
scope. This limited action involves seeking out and constructing all kinds of housing
prototypes, and includes structural and material mechanics analysis, component testing,
etc., and not a mere design with a complete, finalized plan for the building.

The core of the problem lies in philosophy. Over the brief centuries that saw the
development of 'modern civilization', the future of humanity and earth has reached an
unsustainable bottleneck. 'Sustainability' now challenges our current systems of value,
whilst deconstructing modernity and modern aesthetics.

22/23

BARWBAW [ ]1999 9 21
NGO

The Thao aborigines comprise the smallest population of Taiwan's recognized indigenous minority groups. They have unique cultural
traditions and customs, a unique language, well-maintained beliefs based in ancestor-worship, and rich seasonal rituals. Most of the
Thao population is concentrated in Brawbaw Village on the banks of Sun Moon Lake. On September 21, 1999, a massive earthquake
damaged or destroyed 80% of Thao homes in the area. To provide a base for recovering and preserving Thao culture, a resettlement
community was constructed, with support from Taiwan's Academia Sinica as well as domestic and foreign NGOs and civic groups.
The plan for the resettlement community was organized with ceremonial spaces as the main axis, and developed in accordance with
the underlying topography of the land as well as the local environment. A system of 'work instead of charity' was invoked to allow
tribe members collectively to contribute to the labor of rebuilding the community, addressing the question of economic livelihoods,
but most importantly, re-solidifying tribal consciousness through collective labor.

Yuchih, Nantou, Taiwan

2000

- + - +
48m2
42

 70

2004

Rural areas are home to 70% of the world's population. Confronted with entirely new
technology, materials and construction techniques, as well as entirely different forms of
social organization and systems of value, peasants are only able to rely on limited trialand-error methods to accumulate experience. Everywhere from north to south are the
ubiquitous cinderblock houses entirely vulnerable to earthquakes, heavily energy intensive
and costly. In facing current issues of sustainable development, Hsieh Ying Chun traveled
to rural areas in Hebei, Henan and Anhui in 2004 to promote cooperative construction
of sustainable homes in the countryside as an integration of rural social and economic
conditions.

26/27

Dingzhou, Hebei
2005

- - + + - +
86m2 172m2

10
Located within the Y. C. James Yen Rural Reconstruction Institute in Zhaicheng Village (under Dingzhou City) in Hebei Province, Earth
House 001 is a model 'green' home jointly constructed by villagers and undergraduate architecture students. It is a two-storey, three-room
building with a wooden frame and adobe walls. Work on the interior used and expanded upon traditional methods to create a double-level
energy-conserving kang [a heated earthen platform-bed found in homes across north China] suitable for a two-storey home. The building
is not only earthquake resistant, but also has excellent heat-conserving capabilities; in summer, the interior temperature can be kept as low
as 10 degrees Celsius.

Lankao, Henan
2006

- - +
88m2 165m2

A 'green' architecture work camp was organized in partnership with the local cooperative to promote cooperative buildings. The camp
brought together surplus rural labor power, encouraged mutual aid and work exchange among community members for home construction,
reduced reliance on currency, and employed locally-sourced and salvaged materials and other such resource-conserving measures in
constructing their 'green' rural homes.

28/29

56

Yangliu Village is one of the few Qiang tribal minority villages to maintain Qiang cultural and linguistic traditions. Through the use of
mutual aid and labor-sharing methods among the villagers, reconstruction of 56 houses was successfully completed within the last year.
Light-gauge steel frames were used in combination with traditional local building techniques; first-floor walls were built from locallysourced and salvaged stone, second storey walls used reinforced concrete, and third-storey construction used wood. Work began from a
basic 'open' structural layout, giving individual families a great deal of freedom to adjust plans based on their particular circumstances
and requirements. Ultimately, this strategy created a harmonious balance in the overall appearance of the re-built village between
standardization and diversity.

Yang-liu, Abzhou, Sichuan

2008

+ +
167m2 267m2

2009 8

2010 13
700

60%
In August 2009 severe mudslides, the result of violent torrential rain brought by the
typhoon, occurred throughout the mountainous and riparian areas of Taiwan populated
by members of the island's various indigenous minority tribes. Hsieh Ying Chun and
his team were asked by World Vision Taiwan and the Taiwan Red Cross Society to
build temporary housing, and also to implement plans for permanent housing. Before
the end of 2010, the team had completed reconstruction projects of 700 houses for 13
different tribal communities.
Following the disaster, many people were without work, tribal society and culture
suffered from the relocation of members to new permanent housing elsewhere. In the
face of these more deep rooted issues of tribal and cohesion, Hsieh's team deployed
cooperative building methods in their post-disaster reconstruction as a pragmatic
solution for both issues. Hsieh's based on light-weight C-beam steel frames activates the
principle of intersubjectivity the idea that the designer merely provide a basic platform
that enables the builder and the user to share in the larger part of the project, be it their
own architectural imagination, a particular traditional or cultural consideration, the
environment, or faith all these elements are released to manifest in the final product.
Due to time constraints and the massive volume of reconstruction work scheduled,
participation from disaster-area residents was required at all stages of Hsieh's work,
from materials-processing to on-site assembly to construction, and became a concrete
example of Hsieh's focus on simplification of techniques and tools, and his emphasis on
the importance of establishing self-sufficient local construction systems. In this manner,
high-quality homes were built within a budget equivalent to 60% of prevailing
market prices.

3 2/3 3

, ,
Dawu, Taitung, Taiwan
2010

, ,
Majia, Pingtung, Taiwan
2010

- , -
801j / 19803s / 12 31

- -
132 177 174 483

801j
803s

803s

3 4/3 5

9 [ 0.4g ]
18
Tibetan herders need settled quarters for their winters. Given the lengthy transport routes, severe climactic conditions, and the fact
that those Tibetan areas fall within an earthquake zone, the introduction of light weight steel simple-assembly frames to traditional
earthen construction upgrades earthquake resistance to a level of 9 points on the Richter scale (at 0.4 G of acceleration). Hsieh and
his team used minimum of concrete and steel components, reduced the need for outside purchase and attendant transport costs;
overcame the difficult problems of quality control, and succeeded in preserving local traditional earth construction and woodworking
techniques that the herders themselves employed. In Namuhu Township, the team constructed an 18-household model village plus a
clinic and a community activity room.

Namuhu, Dangxiong, Tibet

2010
,
- -
60m2

3 6/3 7

Wang Ming-Heng

60

3 8/3 9

Wang Muo-Ling

1960

place

1958
33 11 Pruitt Igoe 1972
1999 9 21

space

40/41

2008

1977

2008

8 82009
a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f. [ ]

2006
\ 2006
2005
2005

2003
9 212002

g.

2001

i.

1999

h.

j.

5 122008-2009
a. 15

b. [ ]146

[ ]56 [ ]48
c. 26

2007

[ 2007 ]
2006
35
[ 2006 ]
2006
2005
40
[2005 ]
2005
9 211999-2006
a. [2001-2006 ]

b. 30 2000

c. 42

2002
2001
1998
, 1987 1989 1995
1984
1979
1977

2000

1998
1997
1996
1996
1995

2011
53 2010
\ 2009
53 2009
[ ]
2006
2006
\ 2005
2003

Education

B.Arch, Tamkang University, 1977

Projects

Aboriginal community reconstruction of Typhoon Morakot, Taiwan, 2009-present

Rural community reconstruction after SiChuan Earthquake, May 2008-August
2009

Conduct of Agricultural cooperative building in Nan-Tang, An-Hui, 2007

Removal of Mei-Yuan Village, Jien-Shi, Xin-Zhu County, 2007

Conduct of Agricultural Cooperative building in He-Nan, Lan-Kao, 2006

Removal of Tian-Hu Village, Jian-Shi, Xin-Zu County, 2006
Removal of Song-He Village, TaiChung County, 2005

Housing reconstruction proposal for Aceh Tsunami, Indonesia, 2005

Community Reconstruction of 921 Earthquake, Taiwan, 1999-2006

10 2008
2008

Profile

Director of Rural Architecture Studio, Yen-Yang Chu Rural Construction

Academy, HeBei, 2005

Lecture, Dept. of Architecture, Columbia University, USA, 2006

Lecture, Dept. of Architecture, MIT University, USA, 2006

Lecture, Graduate Center of Architecture, Peking University, 2005

Lecture, Academia Sinica Taiwan, 2005

Visiting Lecturer, Dept. of Architecture, Feng-Chia University, Taiwan, 2002

Visiting Lecturer, Dept. of Arch. and Historic Preservation, Shu-Te University, Taiwan,
2001

Visiting Lecturer, Dept. of Architecture, Chung-Yuan Christian University, Taiwan,

1998

Research Tour of traditional folk housing and drama in China, 1987, 1989, 1995
Director of Architect Hsieh Ying-Chun and Associates, Taiwan, since 1984

Structural Engineer of Architect Chen Chi-Kwan and Associates, Taiwan, 1979

Architectural Engineer Officer for the ROC Army, 1977

Exhibitions

Illegal Architecture: Installation Exhibition of Wang Shu and Hsieh Ying-Chun, 2011
Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture, 2009
La Biennale di Venezia, 2009

Detours: Tactical approaches to urbanization in China, Toronto Exhibition, 2006

La Biennale di Architettura di Venezia, 2006

Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture, 2005

Myxomycity, MOCA Taipei Exhibition, 2003

Awards

Contribution to the Public Service, 10th Annual Award to the Outstanding Architect,
Taiwan, 2010

Special Committee Award, China Architecture Media Awards, 2008

Taipei City Cultural Award, 2008

Life Sustainability Award, Renlai Monthly, Taipei Ricci Institute, 2008

Competition First Prize, Taiwan LiuDuei Hakka Cutural Park, 2006

Special Committee Award, Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture, 2006

Honor Award for Environmental Protection, Ho Jin-Duei Foundation, 2005
Nominee Finalist, UN- HABITATs Best Practices Dubai Awards, 2004
Social Contribution Prize, Taiwan Architectural Award, 2003

Taiwan 921 Reconstruction Committee Award for Reconstruction Contribution, 2002

Citation Prize, Far Eastern Award for Outstanding Architecture Design, 2001

Nominee Finalist, Far Eastern Award for Outstanding Architecture Design, 2000

Nominee Finalist, Far Eastern Award for Outstanding Architecture Design, 1999
Evaluation of Superior Quality for Public Construction, HsinChu Science Park
Standard factory buildings

Competition First Prize, Mei-Nung Hakka Museum, 1998

Taiwan Architecture Award, Taiwan Architect Magazine, 1997

Taiwan's Outstanding Architect Award, 1996

Extraordinary Quality Award, Public Construction Commission, Taiwan, 1996

Competition First Prize, HsinChu County Cultural Center, 1995

http://www.atelier-3.com /

http://blog.sina.com.cn / rastudio

42/43

A.9 21
A1.

2007/2

A2.

2006/4

36

A3.

2002

B10.

2001

B11.

2001

2005/7

42

C. 5 12

A4.

2008/5~2009/8
15

2000

30

A5.

2000

42

B.9 21
B1.

2003

B2.

2003

B3.

2003

B4.

2003/7

B5.

2002

B6.

2002

B7.

2002

B8.

2002

B9.

C1.
C2.

56

C3.

48

C4.

C5.

C6.

C7.

C8.

C9. [ ]

D. 8 8
D1.

2010/1

50

D2.

2010/2

14

D3.

2010/3

20

D4.

2010/7

31

D5.

2010/7

33

D6.

2010

483

D7.

2010

15

D8. [ ]

15

D9.

45

D10.

12

D11.

E.
E1.

2005

E2.

2005

E3. 002

2005

E4. 001

2005

E5.

2005

E6.
2009

E7. 003

2006

E8.

2006

G.

E9.

2006

2007

E10.
2008

E11.

2010/10

18

E12.

250

F.
F1.

G1.

G2.
2004

G3.
2004

G4.
2004

G5. [ ]
2003

G6.
2003

2008

F2.

2008

F3.

2006

F4.

2004/6

F5.

2004/3

F6.

2004/2

H.
H1.

2005

H2.
2003/5

H3.

2003/5

I.
I1.

F7.

I2.

2004/1

2009

F8.

I3.

F9.

I4.

F10.

I5.

2003/6

1998

1995

F11.

2005

2004

2003/11


Peoples Architecture: Hsieh Ying-chun, Architect

Curator Shi Jian

Exhibition Planner

Exhibit Text

Panel Design

Translation

Xu Yazhu

Caroline Merrifield, Elisabeth Ramsey

Copy Editor Joan Stanley-Baker, Mao Chenyue

Editor

Liu Chao-lung, Tsai Pei-wen, Lin Shu Ying

Video Recording
Earth House

2009
8 8

Liu Zhen

Audio/Visual Management

003

Xue Liang, Kao Chun-kuei

Hung Ming-yu, Chang Chuan-hou, Nie Chen, Liu Ding

Installation Management Yen Hsueh-hi, Chiang Ming-yi

wx-design, Hou Ying, Ding Fan, Chen Mengmei

Hsieh Ying-chun, Lin Hsin-her

Installation Management

Zheng Kong Kong, Pu Hong

Exhibition Vision Design

Exhibition Design

Exhibition Contact

Li Hu, Huang Weiwen, Du Juan, Li Xiangyu

Traveling Exhibition Planner

wx-design

Rural Architecture Studio

Director: Yu Chuan-Ching

Steel and Mountain [2009 Venice Biennale Official Selection]

Director: Yu

Chuan-Ching
Reconstruction in the Wake of the 88 Flood

Director: Studio Meta.tw

Jialan Relief Housing Director: Lin Yi Fang

Studio X Beijing

Organizer

Studio X Beijing, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture,

Planning and Preservation

Shenzhen Center for Design

Development Council

3 [ ] Studio X Beijing

The College of Architecture and Urban Planning of Tongji University

5 [ ]

Exhibition Schedule

The Hong Kong Institute of Architects & Hong Kong Arts

4 [ ]

6 [ ]

March, Beijing
April, Shenzhen
May, Hongkong
June, Shanghai

/ Media Support:

/ Thanks: