Technical Studies

By Xiao Tsz Hang Nick

0. Content

1. Project Outline
Introduction
Problems

2. Case Study
Zhu Feng Village For-All Community Center
Tofu Factory
Paper Museum
An Villa

3. Application
On Lai Chi WO
On Design

4. Material Study
Rammed Earth
Lapping Tiles
 Project Outline
Abandoned

In Outline Design, I have study about the histoty of Lai Chi Wo Which is
the abandoned building or ruined doesn’t mean these building no longer
exist, part of the building become ruined but other part become a kind of
energy existing in people ‘s mind. that’s why after 50 years, the people who
left 50 years will still back to village and live in here again. It is a transfor-
Built Memory / Energy

mation of all things.

People construct means whey leave part of their energy in these place, and
the place will also return energy to people. I call this energy “Trace”.
Return

In Technical Studies, I will focus on how people use existing building to

create new typology, such as, existing structure, material, planning, tradi-
tional technic.

Problem
The posibilities or potential of the ruined building
Architectrue design doesn’t mean tear down the old one and build a new
one
Make good use of different materials.
Case Study 01
Zhu Feng Village For-All Community Center
SAFA Laboratory of Architectural Design

This concept is mainly based on the following two aspects. On the one hand,
although the construction process of preserving and renovating rural dwell-
ings was expected to be particularly difficult, the design continues the scale
of rural dwellings as far as possible, retaining some of the original elements,
and flexibly transforming them from private to the public through the reor-
ganization of internal spaces and functions. On the other hand, the owner's
strict control of the construction schedule dictates that the finalization of
spaces and details needs to be carried out on-site in collaboration with a
number of craftsmen. It is important to consider both the cost and the inte-
gration of old and new elements.
Open sunroof
Case Study 02

Tofu Factory
DnA

A new factory is programmed on a

linear slope following the river by the
village entrance, as a village collective
economic entity on both on soybean
supply and a villager union on tofu
products, to upgrade the traditional
tofu production. The villager union
operates the factory to engage fami-
ly workshops as shareholders of this
collective economic entity. In this
way, the villagers are the immediate
beneficiary and many farmers join
the unions as well.

Caizhai Village is a traditional mountain village built along both banks of a

river over the past two hundred years. The village has always been known
for its best tofu production in the county region. But the products from
the traditional family workshops could not fit into current food certificate
standards to be able to sell in supermarket.
 The building volume is
spreading along the slope
by six production func-
tions: preparation room,
grinding compartment,
boiling compartment,
deep-frying compartment,
drying compartment, and
tasting hall.

Tasting Hall

Drying Comparment

Deep Frying Comparment

Boiling Compartment
Use different direction of
roof to create different sun-
light for multiple function Boiling Compartment
space.
Preparation Room
Case Study 03

Paper Museum in Dongshan Village

THUPDI Department of Traditional Village Existing Part

Dongshan is a village whose traditional landscape has been eroded heavily.

It was well-known in papermaking in history and now is strong in paper box
making due to the quick development of the internet and express industry in
Hangzhou City.

The design team uses paper as the breaking point for the protection and
development of Dongshan village, putting the exhibition of traditional pa-
permaking, the experience of traditional paper sheeting, the art of paper box
and lessons of modern paper craft into a paper museum transformed from a
traditional and dilapidated residence. So that the museum will become a new
public space combining paper culture exhibition and experience with leisure
activities.

Based on the plan-

ning, create connec-
tion with eifferent
building to create
different experience
Renovation Part
Case Study 04

An Villa
T.R.O.P terrains + open space
The design team got inspired in many ways by researching the water-town of
Shaoxing. One idea came from architecture. The heritage roofs use the im-
brex and tegula, overlapping roof tiles, to keep out rain and drain it efficient-
ly. Drawing inspiration from this architectural technique, we create a water
feature at the arrival court to facilitate the departure and arrival procedures.
 The overlapping tiles helps
to drain the rains to the sur-
rounding drainage or river

Entrance of Building Creat path and water area, raised one side to col- Based on existing area, create landscape to im-
lect rains. prove the experience
Application

Abandoned house Typology

Lai Chi Wo is a traditional

Hakka village, has a lot of tra-
ditional building, but, some
of the building is ruined after
the abandoned. In my project,
I will design a complex based
on the abandoned building’s
location, but it does’t mean I
will tear down all the build-
ing. some ruined building still
have potentail to create some-
thing different.
Lai Chi Wo traditional building was consruct by
rammed earth, if I want to design in a ruin build-
ing, i need understand the construction of Lai Chi
Wo traditional building and understand the feature
of rammed earth material.
Ruined Building Typology

Ruined Building Sketch

Material Study : Nature Material

Rammed earth Material : Rammed earth

Rammed earth could be made from local materials and applied accordingly.
It is easy to construct and cost-efficient. Its high thermal storage capacity Sustainable
could keep the interior space warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Environmental
The moisture absorption ability of rammed earth is 30 times better than
common industrial construction materials, which could adjust the humidity Reusable
in the space, especially in the damp and hot southern districts and dry and
cold northern districts. Degradable
Low Polution
From the aspect of sustainable development in current days, rammed earth
is recyclable and could be reused after the house is demolished. It could even
be applied back in the farmlands as manure. The construction process of
rammed earth is energy efficient and would generate zero pollution. Accord-
ing to calculation, the embodied carbon of rammed earth is only 3% of clay
bricks and 9% of concrete.

However, compared to the regular wall materials like sintered bricks and
concrete, the strength and durability of rammed earth are still inferior.

Construction process of upgraded rammed earth

Rammed Earth Construction
Plywood formwork filled
with layer of moist earth mix
(concrete, gravel, sand, clay
etc
Rammed earth can easy col-
lect and produce on ground.
that’s why most of the village
built by rammed earth be-
cause it’s convienience
Material Study : Nature Material
Rammed earth
Typical Rammed earth Wall
Concrete Beam
Rammed Earth
Finish Floor
Concrete Beam
Each layer compacted using Next layer added and pro- Additional layers moist earth
pneumatic backfill tamper cess repeated are added and compressed
Rock
Rammed earth wall can pro- When the building is ruined,
vide heat proof, sound proof those ruined will return to
earth
Material Study : Traditional Material

Traditional Chinese Tile

Material Study

Potential of Rammed earth

In present, rammed earth not just a village ma-

terial, the new rammed earth can provide better
experience and sustainable than other material.

Urban Design
 Rammed earth Case Study
Wanjian Library
The original house was with dark and low interior spaces and an wall-bear-
ing structural system consisting of a dilapidated timber roof structure and
load-bearing adobe envelope walls which are already cracked and at risk of
tipping over. In terms of local low construction level and relatively crude
organization mode.
Rammed earth Case Study
Wanjian Library

The reinforcement of the adobe walls preserves as much as

possible the common memory of the villagers on a physical
level

In order to reduce the load pressure on the adobe exterior

walls, the original non-load-bearing interior partition walls
were replaced by a concrete frame, transforming the original
structure system into a new one in which the central concrete
frame, like a four-legged “square table” with only half of the
table top, shares the roof load with the adobe exterior walls
and further enhances the structural safety of the house.
Conclusion
In fact, tear down the old thing and build a new thing is easier than reform a old thing, but when we can decide a building’s life, we
should more think about the building’s meaning to the surrounding, just like Wanjian Library, the heritage building itself already
become a memory inside the village’s mind, why can’t we create new thing and keep the old things at the same times?