Design Proposal: Co-Habitation of productive and living blocks
To present the local government’s vision of Huanggang village in the future, “Co-habitation of productive and living blocks” is proposed as the political instrument in a form of social housing architecture to enhance the idea of collective society. The design project basically symbolizes the local government authority, who is the village’s decision maker, to provide an architecture for better living condition with equality, stability in economics, and organized environment. By demolishing the old handshake building, this living unit is proposed as a mixed-used space for both living and productive activities through the relationship of public and private conditions. Different environments are provided to imply the functions of the spaces, which maintain the sense of collectivism through different characters within the village. This project also takes the main inspiration from the concept of “Utopian Society” as the government’s ideal in which to define the society as “the result of earnest conceptions by futurist who have planned every detail for the construction of such world in order to create a perfect society.” In other to achieve the idea of utopian society, this living unit is, therefore, proposed as an alternative framework which the government provides the construction of flexibility and equality while the community itself provides a corporation to serve the space for productivity that also increases economic value.
This
co-working and living unit is designed to be built with simple structure and
form that is related to the idea of low income and retail space from the
existing context. The space is first composed with four main spaces with
different functions arranging respectively from the most public, semi-public,
to the most private. The idea of public and semi-public are presented on the
first three levels of the block, which can be used for productivity,
recreational, and leisure activities. These spaces basically maintain the sense
of collectivism through the idea of social relationship between people and
space where common areas are provided to gather them together.
“Productivity
space” is located on the ground level of this living unit. The space is
considered as the most public space with column structure where the inhabitants
can be connected to each other. It is basically used as the parking lots for
the inhabitants as well as a mixed-used space for productive activities, being
inspired from the project of 1111 Lincoin Road carpark by Herzog. The space
mainly allows production of various process of retail working to happen, which
essentially turns the living unit to be a productive collaboration and place
for social interaction. The area is basically divided into two main parts of
production and service based on the retail’s working process. The central part
is an open area for the production working, such as growing, training, packing,
and meeting. Meanwhile, the outer area is considered to be functioned for
services where the market is taken place during the daytime of unused parking lots.
A one-way road is in between of these two spaces, which functioning as the main
circulation of the space as well as being connected to other building blocks.
The first floor is considered
as “a recreational space” where it continues to be the public area, for
exciting activities, such as a child’s playground, group meeting for gambling,
and traditional dancing. The space is constructed with column structure to
provide the interaction between the inhabitants. However, the space is more
enclosed with glass structure, while moveable furniture can be used for serving various activities taken
by different ages of inhabitants.
The second
floor is considered as “a leisure space” where it is considered as a
semi-public space where the area concern for more relaxing activities that can
be taken by individuals and groups. The space is more defined in specific
boundary of a room divided by solid wall into different programs. However, the
walls are not totally enclosed, but two sides opened in order to maintain their
social interaction. Solid furniture is also designed for specific functions,
which can be only used for relaxing activities, such as making a painting,
having Chinese traditional tea culture, and playing computer. The middle part
of the space is proposed as a religious joss house for Taoism. A small garden
is also taken place there as the collective resting and relaxing area for the
inhabitants.
The
residential area is located on top of this living unit where it is considered
as a private space. The idea of vertical stack is used to support the density
of inhabitants and individual activities. It is composed with four units on
each floor where it can be taken by only one inhabitant per room. However, the
space is proposed to provide flexibility in living. According to the Japanese
architectural project called “9 Tsubohouse” by Makuto Masazawa, the idea of
elevated floor as well as transformation of partitions to create variations are
applied to this residential space. The idea of pivoting partitions is designed
to be self-interlocking with four main transformations where the inhabitants can
customize the space whether not to be shared or to be shared with other
inhabitants up to four people living together. The sense of collectivism
through their social relationship between individual and individual presents
through the windows that can be also transformed to function as the room’ s
self- balcony for the inhabitant to be interacted with other inhabitants
walking around the area.
Lastly, Huanggang is basically
concerned about the security within the village according to the strict
observation of the soldiers. This living block also provides the sense of
security in the way that is more indirectly and flexible, which the inhabitants
themselves are those who look over the block and provides indirectly security. Due
to the design of the space that allows all time interaction and observation
between people, the central staircase is used as the main circulation of the
block, representing as the political framework, to allow the interaction and
observation among people.
Conclusion:
Appropriation of the space
Co-habitation of productive
and living blocks” represents the new ideal form of housing imposed by the
government in order to enhance the society. The new idea of “home” is
propagated by the government in order to develop the village’s economics,
social, and environment. The project results as the portrayal of relationship
between the government and community, emphasizing the government’s perception
of future Huanggang through the dynamic process of different development scales
from the new context to small living units. To conclude the idea of the
project, “Co-habitation of productive and living blocks” is concerned as the
generic and physical framework visually promoted by the government. The
physicality and architectural design aims to propagate government’s process and
intention to achieve the ideal of “home” for Future Huanggang. However, the
real idea of “home” is not the consequence by the government who provides the
physical solution. This generic framework allows
for specificity from one person as a bottom up design, which an individual
creation defines the real idea
of “home.” The
result of more force causes to the more customize people in the space even
though everything is erased, but their routine, familiarity, and culture
are maintained.
