Old Houses, New Spaces / A Proposal for Shapuwei Urban Villages

a proposal for Shapuwei urban village Maib14 Design Studio Shenzen Urban villages Prof.Martine De Maeseneer with the collaboration of Chris Lai (DOFFICE) Eneida Berisha Eva Papaspyrou Jurij Strehar Alessandro Pellegrino

Studio Report 2019-20 Master of Architecture Faculty of Architecture KU Leuven Shenzhen Lab This report is based on the studio Shenzhen Urban Villages, conducted at KU LEUVEN First Year Master Studio 2019-2020, for Winter semester 2019.

Studio Instructor Martine De Maesneer Students Alessandro Pellegrino Eneida Berisha Eva Papaspyrou Jurij Strehar Review Critic and Collaborator Chris Lai, Doffice Architecture Studio, Shenzhen

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Introduction

20-49

Analysis

50-117

Strategy

INTRODUCTION

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Shenzhen Shenzhen is a major sub-provincial city located on the east bank of Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern Guangdong province, People’s Republic of China. It forms part of the Pearl River Delta megalopolis, bordering Honk Kong across the Sham Chun River to the south, Huizhou to the northeast and Dongguan to the northwest and shares maritime boundaries with Guangzhou, Zhongshan and Zhuhai to the west and southwest across the estuary.

1-3 Right page: Location of Shenzhen Left Page: Skyline of Shenzhen from the Nanshan District Source: Wikipedia, Last accessed September 2019 6

Instant City Shenzhen - China’s southern gate - is the one city in the world that has grown with incomparable speed. The policy Reform and Opening in 1978 found Shenzhen as a village with a population of thirty thousand people [O’Donnell et al., 2017].

In 1979 it was declared as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), becoming from then on, a model for all of China. By 2010, it became a city with more than ten million people. The reform led to unprecedented rural-to-urban migration [Li and Rose, 2017]. Around 277 million people, in 2015, had left rural areas to seek work and a better life with the intent to live in the growing cities of China. This drastic change that occurred in Shenzhen, upon which the People’s Republic of China invested in significantly in economic and human capital, was reflected on the demand for housing.

Source: Learning from Shenzhen, Mary O’Donnell, The University of Chicago Press, 2017 8

Timeline

4000BCE

first human settlement (YUE people)

331BCE

JIN DYNASTY (by the end: Barbarian invasion by the Roman empire made people fleed to Southern China)

678-907

created villages in Shenzhen

TANG DYNASTY migrants escaping war developed south parts Shenzhen became a Regional Center of Trade& Salt production

1573 1644-1911

MING DYNASTY named Xian QING DYNASTY coastal raids by MING royalists from Taiwan

1. provided economic take-off to HK (british colony) by providing labor 2. granted the creation of Shenzhen as a SEZ (to curb the human waves fleeing) 3. lowered agrarian production - hit peak at 1962 4. those who did not participate are the managers of today

1644-1647 all sea-gain activities banned and coastal cities moved 15km inland

1830 - 1842

OPIUM WARS

1860

HK colonized by UK

1836

Japan invaded China & occupied Shenzhen

1914

named Boan (REPUBLIC of CHINA)

1950

normal village life but proximity to HK made them Taogang

1960 - 1970

HK economic take-off increased number of people fleeing

1966 - 1978

CULTURAL REVOLUTION

1979

City of Shenzhen was founded in the Baoan County area with the approval of the Chinese State Council

1980

In August, it was officially declared the first Special Economic Zone of China.

1983 1987 1988

The Baoan United Investment Company issued the PRC’s first stock in 1983.

In 1987, Shenzhen was also the first place in China to hold a land auction.

Shenzhen opened China’s first stock exchange in 1988, two years ahead of Shanghai’s sister exchange. With the stock market, Shenzhen was the first place in China that individuals could invest freely their personal wealth. It was the first place to hire and fire based on individual performance rather than lifetime employment in the ‘iron rice bowl’ system of the rest of China.

1997

HAND OVER (UK handed over Hong Kong to China) One Country, 2 Policies and Hong Kong as SAR (Special Administration Region)

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Urban development & effects The demand for housing was met with the rapid change of the urban fabric where land became immediately an asset. The farmers, who resided in Shenzhen at the time, and owned a significant amount of land, either started building or sold the land to developers. The high-density apartment buildings erected, going at maximum 8 stories high - a number chosen due to the building regulation deeming this building height as acceptable without built elevators being required - were dispersed all over the farmland.

They were no farther than 1.5 to 2 meters apart, with a shortage of public facilities, and lack of public spaces, with hydraulics pipes highly visible on the outside of the buildings. The closeness to one another gave them the name “Handshake towers”.

However, these farmlands contained on the same plot of land handshake towers, factories, market shops, as well as the villas where now live the rich landowners and former villagers.

These sites were named “urban villages”. They continued to be stuck in time while the rest of Shenzhen continued to welcome fancy industries, companies and garnering international attention.

development of sectors at different speeds

influx of workers

built-up village land

Shenzhen SEZ

target: profit low regulation/highrise buildings

villagers becoming landlords/sellers

new typology: handshake buildings

fragmentation of site

factories

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need for housing

handshake buildings

villas

new highrise buildings

=“Urban Village”

demolished areas

historical buildings

1980

1984

urban villages network 1992

Source: Learning from Shenzhen, Mary O’Donnell, The University of Chicago Press, 2017

2000

1988

2006

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Infrastructure

2002

Hong Kong reinforces quota of 2000 mainlanders per day

2003

Establishment of IVS (Individual visit scheme for all cities in Guangdong (Shenzhen, Beijing & Shanghai)

2007

First “co-located” immigration and customs control point (whose purpose was to expedite movement across the border by improving on the basic design of the twin cities’ boundary control facilities) movement increased by 20-30%)

2008

HK issues 1 year multiple entry visa to Shenzhen for hukou holders (Urban residents = which caused deeper social divide) terminal Fuksas inaugurated - (accommodate the needs of so-called intermodal air passengers—people transiting by bus, ferry, or minivan to and from Mainland China) SHENZHEN’s contact to the world channeled through HKIA

Source: Learning from Shenzhen, Mary O’Donnell, The University of Chicago Press, 2017 14

2010

HK allowed immigration authority (IVS) to employees of state-owned enterprises in Shenzhen)

2012

HK granted IVS to anyone legally a Shenzhen resident for at least 1 year (increased the quota to half a million per day)

2014

nearly 100,000 people passed through the “co-located” facility every day

Climate Shenzhen falls into the humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cwa). The weather is characterized by mild, moderately dry winters and hot, humid summers. Surrounded by many islands, Shenzhen is located within the Pearl River Delta, and its climate is majorly influenced by the monsoons. Shenzhen experiences moderate sunshine throughout the year, and the sea temperature remains moderately warm throughout the year, even during winter.

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The elements of Vernacular Sihejuan housing is a square housing compound with rooms enclosing a central courtyard. This courtyard often contains a pomegranate or other type of tree, as well as potted flowers or a fish tank. They form alleys, which link together the interior of a city. The central courtyard is usually big enough to allow ample solar access, and provides wind protection during the winter.

Efficient insulation has also been used for houses as there are commonly 370 mm thick brick walls and single glazing with sealed window frames made of rice pape openings on the walls allow airflow to cross, whilst the verandas, overhanging roofs and trees create sufficient shading and semi-open space for afternoon tea and evening gathering.

Toulou housing prioritises natural ventilation and shading, and, thus, is often characterized by big overhanging roofs that are usually made from plants. It is several stories high, they are built along an inward-looking, round or square floor plan and housing up to 800 people each.

Usually they were built for defensive purposes around a central open courtyard with only one entrance and the windows are located only above the first floor.Housing a whole clan, tolou functioned as village units and were known as “a little kingdom for the family” or “bustling small city. The buildings were divided vertically between families with each possessing two or three rooms on each floor. Kitchen and dining room were generally placed on the first floor; the storage rooms were on the second floor; while the bedrooms were placed on the third or higher floors.

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Grid

Garden

Porch

Courtyard

Shophouse/Tong-Lau/Qilou

Farmhouse

Siheyuan

Bar House

Round Tulou

Square Tulou

Deviant-shape Tulou

Heng Tang House

Pillow House

Lung Wai House

Hakka Walled village

Wok Yi Uk-Ear House

Boat-house

Fishermen house

Diaojiaolou

Kaiping Dialou 19

Site_figure ground

ANALYSIS

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Site

Shapuwei Village

22

2008

2011

2013

2018

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People

Children

Native settlers

Permanent workers

Temporary workers

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25

Buildings

26

27

28

29

Building footprint

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Accessibility_metro and roads Bitou 碧头

线

号 6六 Line ) 0 (202 5m

in.

w alking

Line 11 机 场线

10 m in. walking

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Songgang 松岗

Accessibility_factories and productive settlements

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Surroundings_green spaces and urban villages

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Surroundings_water and urban villages

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Surroundings_connection with urban villages, physical boundaries of the site

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Village development

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Temple/Clan Shrine near a body of water

Growth of the settlement

Extension of land plots on the rear of the waterfront

Creation of a grid

Demolitions

Houses (first and second generation) Site of demolitons

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Use of the ground

Informal parking Informal crops Public garden

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New Grid

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New axis

48

Infill

Water reserve (for agricolture) Crops

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STRATEGY

51

Shenzhen grew in different phases and at different scales This development caused inconsistencies in the urban fabric. Nevertheless, the land use in the village remained highly homogenous, with residential use being the highest percentage.

In order to combat this homogeneity which is later on used as an argument to demolish the urban villages - we propose the alternative of adding diversity.

Thus, we decided to develop interwoven inhabitable structures starting from the vernacular architecture.

Aim: 1. Making the urban fabric inhabitable 2. Optimization of space 3. Connecting the surrounding urban villages

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Methodology: 1.Reconstructing urban grid, as a relevant element for the site as well as the history 2. Creating clusters of future economic development: a. Commercial Cluster b. Creative Cluster c. Residential Cluster which are intersecting and interconnected spatially 3. Introducing small conversions of the existing building structure to fit new activities: a. Covered shopping street b. Restoring and reusing historic buildings as assets for the site c. Creation of a network of suspended bridges which make the urban village,in its entirety, accessible

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Surface for different programs

new commercial hotel

creative spaces

public

affordable housing

highrise

villas residence

students-young

residential

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Clustering

Creative workshop+residence (second generation houses)

Temporary artist residence Workshops +workshop (first generation houses) (second generation houses)

Affordable housing

Hotel

Creative Housing Commercial

Commercial+residential upper floors Full commercial

Not involved (high rise)

Creative Garden

55

Homogeneity

Mostly Residence 56

Diversity

Public access

Commercial

Creative

Hotel

Affordable housing

Residence

Not Involved 57

Library of Design Elements Commercial & Residential

Bike Parking

Amusement Park

Parking

Playground

Cafes

Outdoor bar area

Seating area

Crops for cultivation

Pavilion Garden

Shops

Food Stalls

Water fixtures

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Library of Design Elements Creative

Bamboo Garden

Outdoor galleries

Pergola

Waterfront

Catwalk Garden

Hanging garden

Stage garden

Light Garden

Forum

Zen garden

Wooden Pathways

Shading area 59

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STRATEGY: Commercial Cluster

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Commercial Buildings with residential floor

Second generation houses Concrete 34 buildings Mostly 2 floors+rooftops

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Commercial Buildings with residential floor_plans 1:200

Ground Floor

Second generation houses Concrete 34 buildings Mostly 2 floors+rooftops

First Floor

Roof Floor 67

Commercial Buildings with residential floor_Context

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Commercial Buildings with residential floor_Section

Private rooftop

Private floor

Shop+storage

Arcades, commercial sidewalk

69

STRATEGY: Creative Cluster

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Historical Building

First generation houses Bricks + tile roof 9 buildings in the creative cluster (+8 more in creative garden) Maximum 2 floors

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Historical Building_plans 1:200

First generation houses Bricks + tile roof 9 buildings in the creative cluster (+8 more in creative garden) Maximum 2 floors

Ground Floor

First floor

Storage room

Bedroom

Double height space for workshop 28 sqm

Mezzanine Living

Double access

27 sqm

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Historical Building_Context

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Historical Building_Section

Living space

Workshop

Inside view from common walkway Double height

Common walkway (+3 m)

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84

85

STRATEGY:

Crops & Handshake Towers

87

Affordable housing

Handshake typology Concrete 12 buildings Up to 8 floors

88

Affordable housing_plans 1:200

Sample 1

Two apartments Handshake typology Concrete 12 buildings Up to 8 floors

One bedroom 57 sqm

Sample 2

One apartments Two bedroom 115 sqm 89

Affordable housing_Context

90

Affordable housing_Section

Bedroom

Living space

Common stairs

Balcony/veranda

91

Market street

92

Boutique_hotel_spaces

public - groundfloor commercial

semi public - empty floors

semi public - connection elevators + outside corridors

semi private - rooftops

semi private - connection stairs

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95

96

STRATEGY:

Network of Common Spaces & Bridges

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Common Rooftop/raised public space_plan 1:200

Connection of floors and rooftops at level +6m and +3m Access from ground with 7 staircases

Common rooftop (+6m) Empty floor with common staircase Bridge Private Staircase

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Common Rooftop raised public space_Context

100

Common Rooftop raised public space_Section

101

Common Rooftop

102

Common Rooftop_access. staircases

103

Common Rooftop_structure+elements

Stand-alone staircases

Elements 104

Bridges/trusses

Common staircases

105

Site Map of the Second Floor Connection of Bridges

Site Map, Ground Floor

Sections elevations_scale 1:500

Sections elevations_scale 1:500

Next Step Second Phase

-Tackling the existing Market hall, connecting it with the Market street -Creation of empty floors and common spaces in handshake towers

114

in the following years

-Extension of the connection with other urban villages

-Reconversion of factories

Market street_Market hall Market street & Market Hall

Access

Distribution

Interaction

Paths

Connections

115

Empty floors_privacy Floors Privacy

Residential floors

High Rise (handshake) Privacy/intimacy

Siheyuan Privacy/intimacy

Privacy/intimacy

116

Empty floors_connections Floors Connections

Target Floors

Bridges/horizontal connection

Stairs/vertical connection

117

Team (left to right):

Alessandro Pellegrino, Eva Papaspyrou, Jurij Strehar, Eneida Berisha

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Faculty of Architecture KU Leuven