Likewise, heating and cooling in the building is undertaken by geothermal renewable energy with the air-ground exchanger being used mainly as a pre-treatment technique for air renewal (ArchDaily, 2013). In this manner, relying on both natural ventilation and geothermal energy ensures that lower costs are incurred as compared to the use of modern heating systems. 2.6.4 China
Figure 13Refurbished building in China(Valencia, 2019)
According to Valencia (2019), China is considered one of the most active countries in refurbishing its built heritage. The author notes that the country is currently engaged in the restoration of diverse types of built heritage ranging from industrial factories that were abandoned to hutongs in historic downtowns. Some of the buildings are being refurbished into centres oftech and culture while others that are at high risk of collapse are being restored to extend their longevity (Valencia, 2019). The argument advanced is that, reuse architecture allows buildings that have outlived their original purpose to be put into diversified uses or functions while ensuring that their historic features are retained. Subsequently, different reuse strategies have emerged over the years. The first, regards leasing of property as the Chinese law prevents the purchase of property owned by the government (Zhou and Ronald, 2016). In this case, small developers are observed to lease older spaces such as storage facilities and factories in anticipation of increasing their value in future. All land in China, except farmland, is the government’s property and individuals are not allowed to sell it (Valencia, 2019). 27
