Master Thesis Magnus Asker Pettersen Part I

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MASTER THESIS - MAGNUS ASKER PETTERSEN H U TO N G R E G E N E R AT I O N A DAY CARE COMMUNITY FOR THE ELDERLY L I V I N G I N T H E H U TO N G O F B E I J I N G

THESIS PROGRAM

SUPERVISING PROFESSOR - Prof. NEVEN FUCHS-MIKAC EXTERNAL SUPERVISOR - JOAKIM SKA JAA 2013 - 2014 - The Oslo School of Architecture and Design




06 - Introduction 09 - Preliminary questions 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25

- Physical Context - The big picture - Historical context - The hutong - Fictional sites - The concept of the courtyard house - The diversity of the Hutong and the courtyard house - Life

27 29 31 33 35

- Intellectual Context - The new wave of old - The long wait for tomorrow - Regenerating the Hutong - Day care

37 - Thoughts 39 - Preliminary answers 40 - Time Schedule 42 - Source material index


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INTRODUCTION The act of regenerating the social and physical realm of the Beijing Hutong

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Hutong alley

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PRELIMINARY

QUESTIONS

How can architecture work as a catalyst for improving the living conditions and daily life for the elderly Chinese living in the Beijing hutong, and at the same time combine an institutional programme with the need for space and surroundings that creates dignity and social belonging? The main idea behind this thesis is to explore the social and physical realm of the Hutongs of Beijing, and how one can implement a social programme to this context. The task aims to focus on, and discuss the social and architectural problems surrounding the increase of elderly people in Beijing, and how one can deign for a better daily life situation for this particular demograpich group of Beijing. This is a two-parted thesis. On one hand it is focusing on how it is possible to build within the realm of the Hutongs of Beijing to cope with the increasing population of elderly, and on the other hand it is focusing on the elderly people living within the Hutong, and how one can facilitate their daily needs.

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PHYSICAL

CONTEXT

A short introduction to the historical and physical context, and why it has become what it is today

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The fifth ring road - Marking the border of the denser areas of Beijing

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XL THE BIG PICTURE Beijing is situated at the northern tip of the roughly triangular North China Plain, which opens to the south and east of the city. Mountains to the north, northwest and west shield the city and northern China’s agricultural heartland from the violent desert steppes. Several natural and artificial lakes and waterways within the central area are part of an ancient water-system bringing fresh water from Yu Quan Shan and providing recreational areas for theresidential districts. The climate varies, being cold in the winter (-10 degrees Celsius day-time average), whilst hot and humid in the summer. (1) Beijing is the second largest Chinese city by urban population after Shanghai and is the nation’s political, cultural, and educational center. The city’s history dates back over three thousand years, and it has been the political center of China for the last eight centuries. Few cities in the world have been the political and cultural center of an area as immense for so long. (2) Beijing city has about 21 million inhabitants. The historic area of Beijing, bounded by the former city walls, housed 1.75 million inhabitants at the last census (1990). The remaining historic Hutongs are grouped in two main areas, with a total size of 62km2. The more important of the two is the 38 km2area originally contained by the old city walls.These walls were replaced by the second ring road in the 1960s (the first ring-road refers to the walls of the former Imperial City, of which only some fragments remain). The second historic location is the area known as the ‘outer city’. This 24km2 area, located south of Qian Men gate, was originally also a walled city. (3)

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The second ring road - Commonly known as the road that divides the historical and newer areas of Beijing.

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L HISTORICAL CONTEXT In 936 Liao-Nanjing, on the site of modern Beijing, was established as the most southerly of 5 Liao dynasty sub-capitals. In 1644 the first emperor of the Qing dynasty, Shun Zhi, decided to keep Beijing as the capital of China. When the Qing Dynasty collapsed in 1911, China fell prey to the Northern Warlords and Kuomintang. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army formally entered Beijing on January 31, 1949, opening a new chapter in the long history of the city. It was in Tian’anmen Square on October 1st, 1949, that Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, with Beijing as its capital. In 1949, China, in collaboration with the soviet union made a new urban development plan for Beijing. It was important for the chinese to keep the old city, and to plan a new surrounding the old historical center. From 1966 to 1976, during the Cultural Revolution, Beijing underwent enormous changes and many of the city’s ancient structures were irrevocably damaged. The Beijing City Planning Office was closed. This resulted in uncontrolled occupation and development of land. Large numbers of people drifted into the city during this period, sowing the seeds of today’s over-population in residential courtyards. After 1978, the political and economical situation improved rapidly. In 1983, the State Council approved a new ‘Beijing City Construction Master Plan’. The plan included provisions for industrial development, population control, upgrading of the old city and improvement of basic infrastructure. This plan forms the basis of present-day road-building projects. Under the Open Door Policy, China transformed from a planned to a market economy system. A new plan for Beijing’s development was adopted, reflecting the changing political and economic climate. (4)

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The Xi Cheng & Dong Cheng districts - These areas are typical examples of the Hutong structures of Beijing.

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M THE HUTONG

Principles for ancient Chinese urban planning, compiled towards the end of the Chun Qiu period (770 - 476 BC), favoured a rectangular street grid with a palace in the centre, surrounded by temples and markets, and and an favourable number of 12 gates in different directions. This principle was followed in the Yuan dynasty when Beijing’s historic Hutong grid pattern was laid down. The grid was subsequently enlarged and adapted, taking its final shape during the Qing Dynasty (1664-1911). The urban design of Beijing’s historic city is based on the Yuan Dynasty’s thirteenth-century capital, Dadu. This makes Beijing one of the world’s oldest centrally-planned cities, and an important living example of ancient Chinese city planning. The Hutong is a narrow lane. The term is believed to be Mongolian in origin, since it first appears in Beijing’s Yuan dynasty records. There are several theories about the original meaning of the word, the most popular being that it means ‘water well’. Yuan dynasty city plans show 3 types of street, big streets (around 37.2m wide), small streets (18.6m wide) and Hutongs (9.3m wide). Big streets and Small streets mostly ran North- South, whilst the Hutong lanes, mostly ran West-East. Hutong lanes provide shelter from the wind and give a strong sense of privacy. Originally, many trees were planted in the courtyards, whilst more were planted later along the sides of the Hutong lanes. Maps from the Qing Dynasty and the Republican Era show that large numbers of important historic buildings, such as temples and monasteries (Buddhist, Taoist, Confucianist and local Deities) were once active throughout the Hutong areas. Many of these still exist today although many have been converted into housing. (5)

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The Zhong-Gulou (Bell and Drum tower area) (top left) and the Chaodou (lower right)

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S FICTIONAL SITES As a starting point for the master thesis I want to focus on two Hutong areas in the historical part of Beijing. These areas are both central in the historical context of Beijing, and they are relevant examples of how the court yard house was situated in the urban fabric of the city. The Gulou area (upper right corner of picture), centred on the famous Drum and Bell towers, is one of Beijing’s most energetic neighborhoods. It is located at the northern end of the axis that runs North-South, through the centre of the Imperial Palace complex. Originally built in the 13 th century, the towers were used throughout the Ming and Qing dynasties to sound out the progress of time. The ringing of the bell and beating of the drum informed citizens of the time of day and also indicated the specific days of the lunar calendar. Today, the two towers stand at either end of a small square surrounded by old residential courtyard houses. An important feature of the Gulou area is the integration of historic monuments within a vibrant residential area. (6)

The Chaodou Hutong is located towards the southern end of Nanluogu xiang street. This area has kept the ancient street grid pattern dating back to the Yuan dynasty. Close to the northern end of the Imperial City wall, it was a high-class neighborhood, housing members of the Qing aristocracy. (7)

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Bedrooms for unmarried daughters

Master bedroom

Bedroom for the sons and cetral courtyrad

Guest rooms

Kitchen and woork areas

Meeting and study rooms

Main entrance Central axis

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XS THE CONCEPT OF THE COURTYARD HOUSE Siheyuan – Beijing courtyard houses - “The ancient Chinese believed that humanity should exist coherently with the nature. In siheyuan houses, the connection with nature is expressed through the centrally located courtyard. It maintains the well-being of the inhabitants by bringing in natural light and providing ventilation to the building.” Confucianism, which respects individualism and emphasizes self-discipline, had tremendous influences on siheyuan design. Siheyuan was enclosed by thick brick walls with usually only one main entrance located near the southeast corner of the building. Isolation from the outside environment reinforced the sense of individualism and selfconsciousness. The house is laid out with programs divided into different buildings. This symbolic division idealized individualism, suggesting a greater social structure around these discrete elements. These individual units are located around the central courtyard. The functional reason for this particular layout is due to the large population of families. Separation of the family members provides privacy and more harmonized relationships. The combination of solid (buildings) and void (courtyard) creates a strong spatial contrast. The semi-open corridors enable a subtle transition between these two contrasting spaces. The symmetrical quality of courtyard houses is also a reference to Confucian ideology. Programmatic uses are hierarchically determined from north to south and the vicinities of these individual sections are distinctively separated and defined (Se figure). Si-He-Yuan were originally designed and built to house one family, but after the 1950s many were rebuilt and split up in smaller sections to house several families as tenants. With the limitations of space and infrastructure within a courtyard house, the standard of living is not compatible with modern apartment flats. Still many residents prefer the living environment and quality of old Beijing, even if shared with three or four other families. The central location is convenient for work, schools and shops. If all the inner city Hutong residents were resettled beyond the fourth ring road, Beijing’s traffic and transportation systems would collapse. The Si-He-Yuan lifestyle has a long and ancient tradition, and is widely regarded as an essential element of Chinese culture. (8)

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Diversity and ruination - The Courtyard house exists in all forms and shapes

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XS-2 THE DIVERSITY OF THE HUTONG AND THE COURTYARD HOUSE The Siheyuan Yuan exists in all forms and shapes in the Hutong of Beijing. The state of the area is far from the high-class city structure it once was. As previously explained, the typology originates from a strictly defined system, but in real life, the Siheyuan account for an intricate area of large and small, rich and simple structures that defines the Beijing Hutongs. Even though the area still contains perfect Courtyard houses, with large families still living there, as they have done for generations, others are ruins, existing only as a reminder of what the Hutong are once was (bottom right corner page 18). The Hutong is a very rare mixture of poor and rich. The middle class does not want to live in the area because it is to expensive to build with a high enough standard that they want, and the standard they can get, they don’t want either. A big problem in the Hutong is densification. Inhabitants are building smaller structures inside the courtyards, to make room for larger families and a rising number of people living in the area. As a result, there are constant sanitary problems, spring flooding, heating problems and structural issues. The Hutong and the courtyard house is a vital structural system in the center of Beijing, and it is very important to try to maintain these areas, but the original system of structure in the Hutong has to change, so the life in the historical centre of Beijing can continue to exist. With China’s new economy, and the high value of property in the center of Beijing, it is essential to find new ways to utilize these areas in a way, so as they can adapt them selves to the changing environment. If we rethink how people can live in the area, it can mature and create the basis for a further development of the Hutong.

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Everyday hutong life

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LIFE A survey made by the architecture department at Tsinghua Univeristy in Beijing, and the Tibet Heritage Fund in 2002 talkes about how the hutong residents often see themselves as the true Beijingers, and they speak their own Hutong dialect, which is quite distinct from Putonghua, with unique words, expressions and ways of greeting. The survey found that even though in some courtyards there is little contact between different resident families, overall people have friendly relations and help each other out whenever it is needed. People also like to spend their free time in the alleys, talking to their neighbours. When one strolls through the Hutongs, despite of overcrowded, run down courtyards and often-smelly public toilets, there is a special idyllic atmosphere of a community at ease with its environment. The surveyed residents expressed general satisfaction with their environment. Daily transportation (work, school etc), shopping, garbage management system (operated by the government), relationships with their neighbours and the central location within the city were all overwhelmingly rated as positive. Local vegetable markets and small shops are located in most Hutong lanes. These provide convenient supply of daily necessities for the residents, and additional spots to meet and interact with other residents. Most residents do not need to leave the Hutong environment in order to fulfil their basic needs. Public sanitation and garbage collection is well-managed by the government. Most residents expressed their satisfaction with the garbage management system, with only Garbage separation for easier recycling named as possible improvement. 80% of surveyed residents are of the opinion that the ‘Hutong lane’ is an important public space. (9)

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INTELLECTUAL CONTEXT Talking about the people of the Hutong, how we can take care of them, and in what way this may bedone

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Older man living in the Zhong-Gulou Hutong area

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THE

NEW

WAVE

OF

OLD

The population of the elderly (60 or older) in China is about 128 million or one in every ten people, the largest in the world. It is estimated that China could have some 400 million people over 60 years of age by 2050. China is constantly changing, and in recent years the family structure has suffered a lot from these changes. In traditional Chinese society, the elderly used to live with one of their children. Today on the other hand, more and more young adults are moving out, leaving their parents alone. A lot of the young couples now live with their parents not for family tradition, but rather because they cannot afford to buy a house or rent an apartment. Experts say family-based care is now impractical because most middle-aged children have little time to take care of their parents. One of the things the elderly have to face nowadays is how to arrange their late years when their families can’t take care of them. A nationwide survey found that about 23 percent of China’s seniors over the age of 65 live by themselves. Another survey conducted in Beijing showed that less than 50 percent of elderly women live with their children. Since more and more elderly have to live alone, homes for the elderly are far from being enough to meet the needs of the elderly. Zhang Wenfan, president of the China National Committee on Ageing (CNCA), believes that the problems facing China’s elderly can be solved through combined efforts from family, the local community, and society as a whole. China’s goal is to establish a support network for senior citizens that provides medicare, helps them avoid loneliness through study and entertainment and encourages them to continue serving society after retirement by using their knowledge. (10)

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Local elderly playing cards

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THE LONG WAIT FOR TOMORROW A rising problem amongst the elderly living in Beijing is that they have nothing to do during the day. A lot of the children of the elderly people have moved put of their family home, either to work or to study somewhere else in China. Often they don’t move back home, because they have found work somewhere else, or the home of their parents are to small to live in when they get a spouse and children. The parents live for themselves and seldom get out. If they do get out, they have little or nothing to do. Some are good at activating themselves, but some just stay home all day, just waiting for the next day to come. The need for day centres for elderly people, adnespecially poor elderly people has become an increasing issue in China, because if the rise in the elderly population. This thesis is looking at how it is possible to focus on this situation, and create a day centre for the poor elderly people living in the Hutong area of Beijing. The centre will accomodate the needs the elderly have during the day, and it will give them an opportunity to activate themselves and to have a more dignified everyday life situation.

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Archiplein - Beijing hutong

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REGENERATING

THE

HUTONG

“Regenerating beijing’s urban fabric through micro architectural interventions, chinese studio archiplein have extended this traditional beijing hutong. the dwellings in the classical city were designed around a clear empty square, and due to the large population density, the original courtyards have been overtaken by self-constructed buildings. completely transforming the typology of the structure, the arranged grafts almost make the original intention unreadable. this project provides an alternative solution, proposing a modest and economically viable insertion that reveals the quality of the existing space. following three main steps: rehabilitation of the existing building, a new extension and the treatment of the courtyard, the framed void helps to redefine its original composition. ‘the architectural expression is detached from a stylistic approach, but we find our references in the material and form of the past that we transform.’ says archiplein.” (12) This project has taken a step away from a lot of the traditional aspects of what makes up the hutong and the court yard house. Focusing on the materials and the spatial experience is a very efficient and viable approach when redesigning the hutong.

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Featherstone Young Architects - The Dellow Arts and Activity Centre, London, UK

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DAY

CARE

Featherstone Young were appointed by Providence Row to design a new arts and activity building as part of their day care facility in Wentworth Street in London’s East End. Providence Row is a homelessness charity that provides support to homeless people in Tower Hamlets (one of the UK’s most deprived districts) and the City of London. The Dellow Day Centre provides essential services such as food, clothing and showers, helping to restore users’ health and dignity. The new building will allow Providence Row to operate a range of structured and meaningful activities for their users. The ground floor will house a bike workshop, enabling users to develop their skills and set them on the first steps towards employment. The first floor will contain an art centre for visual and performing arts activities, allowing users to express themselves creatively and develop their artistic skills. Providence Row will use the top floor for office space, while other parts of the building will contain storage and archive facilities for the charity. Providence Row is a good example of how you can use architecture to create a day centre for a specific demographic group of the society. The centre is planned in a very open manner, so that the users themselves can determine how the different areas of the house should be used. This is a good way of organizing a day centre, so that one can minimize the space, but at the same time maximize it’s functionality

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T H O U G H T S Preliminary concepts surrounding the process for further work on the ground principles for the thesis programme

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The Zhong-Gulou Hutong area

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PRELIMINARY

ANSWERS

It is important to emphasize that it is not the intention of this thesis to find an overall solution to how or even if it is possible to regenerate the Beijing Hutong area as a whole. The intention is to try to create an example of what can be done, as one of many solutions to the problem of the disintegration of the area. The main purpose of the thesis is to focus on the people that are living in the Hutong, and the concept for the architectural system that makes up this very distinct city environment in the center of Beijing. The thesis does not aim to try to recreate the courtyard house. The purpose of the thesis is to define a new type of architecture, which derives from the architectural ideas that defines the Hutong. It is concentrating on the theories behind the architecture, to find solutions to how it is possible to build within the realm of a very specific area, with a very specific architectural typology. On the basis of materials, organization, circulation and the structural system used, how can we take the concept of the Hutong and adapt it to a much more condensed living situation than there was over five centuries ago, and in what way can we utilize these parameters to create a new architecture that has its origin from it’s own environment. The task focuses on how to create dignified living conditions that makes it possible for people, in this case the elderly, to keep on living in the Hutong. Without the people that make up the Hutong community, there would be no real substance to the area, only a façade, which reminds us about something that once was.

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WEEK 6 - 12

2 Jan

6. Januar: Start of thesis development

WEEK 13 - 19

3 Jan

13. - 15. January: Typology studies - 15. Januar: Meeting with Neven and Joakim. 16. - 17. January: Statistics 18. - 19. January: Thesis development

WEEK 20 - 26

4 Jan

20. - 21. January: Organizing trip to Beijing, organize interpreter, organize interviews 22. Januar: Thesis development, organize meetings in Beijing. 23. -24. January: Diploma reviews

WEEK 5 27 Jan - 2 Feb

27. - 2. Februar: Trip to Beijing, Site analysis, mapping and interviews

WEEK 3 - 9

27. - 2. Februar: Trip to Beijing, Site analysis, mapping and interviews

6 Feb

WEEK 7 10 - 16 Feb

10. - 12. February: Systemize interviews from the Beijing trip, photography editing 13. - 16. February: Programme and thesis development, Site research

WEEK 8 17 - 23 Feb

17. - 19. February: Site model making 20. - 23. February: Thesis research and development of thesis book

WEEK 9 24 Feb - 2 March

Model making and concept development

WEEK 10 3 - 9 March

Project development

WEEK 11 10 - 16 March

Project development

WEEK 12 17 - 23 March

Project development

WEEK 13 24 - 30 March

Project development

WEEK 14 31 March - 6 Apr

First draft thesis presentation, Final edit of diploma thesis.

WEEK 7 - 13

11. April: Deadline final change in thesis programme

15 Apr

WEEK 16 14 - 20 Apr

Model making

WEEK 17 21 - 27 Apr

Model making

WEEK 18 28 Apr - 4 May

Final editing fase

WEEK 5 - 11

9. May: Hand in

19 May

WEEK 20 12 - 18 May

Interview

WEEK 21 19 - 25 May

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WEEK 22 26 Mai - 1 Jun

Censoring

WEEK 2 - 8

Diploma reviews, AHO - Works og prize ceremony - Diploma ceremony 6. June

23 Jun


TIME SCEDULE

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1

Beijing Hutong Conservation Plan - http://www.tibetheritagefund.org/media/download/hutong_ study.pdf, pg 8

2

Wikipedia, Beijing - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing

3

Beijing Hutong Conservation Plan - http://www.tibetheritagefund.org/media/download/hutong_ study.pdf, pg 8

4

Beijing Hutong Conservation Plan - http://www.tibetheritagefund.org/media/download/hutong_ study.pdf, pg 9, 18-19

5

Beijing Hutong Conservation Plan - http://www.tibetheritagefund.org/media/download/hutong_ study.pdf, pg 10-12

6

Beijing Hutong Conservation Plan - http://www.tibetheritagefund.org/media/download/hutong_ study.pdf, pg 29

7

Beijing Hutong Conservation Plan - http://www.tibetheritagefund.org/media/download/hutong_ study.pdf, pg 31

8

The American Institute of Architects, Siheyuan and Hutongs: The Mass Destruction and Preservation of Beijing’s Courtyard Houses - http://www.aia.org/practicing/AIAB086563

9

Beijing Hutong Conservation Plan - http://www.tibetheritagefund.org/media/download/hutong_ study.pdf, pg 41

10

About.com, The Elderly in China - http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa060400a.html

11

Featherstone and Young Architects, http://www.featherstoneyoung.com/

12

Archiplein Architects, http://www.designboom.com/architecture/archiplein-extends-beijing-hutong-using-historic-references-10-30-2013/


SOURCE MATERIAL

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