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Village hollowing can be seen as the other side of the coin of the binomial land taking and farmland shrinking. Its mitigation, control, and counterbalance are top priorities in the People's Republic of China. The reasons span from social and cultural to economic and demographic to environmental aspects, and the cross-disciplinary dilemma that derives calls for original and innovative approaches to revitalize the countryside. In China, design and planning fields have been acknowledged to play a leading role in reshaping rural-urban relationships and the related controversial transition. This paper discusses how some Chinese architects engaged in rural projects explored new possibilities of design expression. Representatives of a multitude, they tested local materials and traditional techniques in innovative ways, renovating design processes and architectural languages. Their engagement has generated a variety of approaches showcasing surprising solutions characterized by challenging attitudes toward standards, dogmas, and canons. In this way, they stimulated a vivid debate repositioning the role of designing at a global level. The paper puts forward an interpretative key to observe how Chinese architects envision the future of ruralities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Architectural Journal / Jian Zhu Xue Bao is the property of Architectural Journal Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In contemporary China, ‘experimental architecture’ depicts the rise of independent architectural explorations offered by a group of young Chinese architects in the mid-1990s. These young Chinese architects claimed to have established an autonomous architecture, distant from commercial interventions. This research examines the credibility of architectural autonomy stated by these architects in light of the field theory put forward by the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. Through this interdisciplinary perspective, the paper focuses on the often overlooked interpersonal networks of critics, architects, and publishers. Through analysing their roles in promoting these experimental architects on the basis of professional publications, this research argues that the notion of architectural autonomy is constituted by a symbiotic collaboration among these actors through a discursive approach and architectural autonomy, despite indicating an architectural resistance against commercial forces, serves a commodity sold in the cultural market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Architectural Journal / Jian Zhu Xue Bao is the property of Architectural Journal Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of South Architecture / Nanfang Jianzhu is the property of South Architecture Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Architectural Journal / Jian Zhu Xue Bao is the property of Architectural Journal Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

From 1930 to 1932, as an architect and responsible engineer, Liu Shiying designed Xueyi Society Building, his first modernist work in Shanghai. Based on the records of the time, this paper studies the construction process and maintains that it was a modern building aiming at higher level but achieving lower in architectural art. Such experience influenced Liu's ideas about modern architecture in three aspects: principals, methods and practices. From these findings, it could be concluded that Liu Shiying's pursuit of modernity was not at all confined to styles, but implemented innovations in architectural art to encourage culture and eventually improve the society. It will provide novel historical significance and contemporary values to re-understand and study the works and experiences of Liu Shiying and other early Chinese architects from this perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to understand the transformation of built environments in Chinese cities through the lens of transnational architectural production. I examine why private developers and government bureaucrats have opted for international architects to design their mega projects, as well as the consequences. I argue that the transformation of the symbolic capital embodied in architectural design is the key to understanding such preferences. Through two case studies in Beijing, the paper shows how the symbolic capital of architectural design is transformed into economic, political, and cultural capital by various segments of the transnational capitalist class, and how tensions and controversies are generated in the course of using foreign architecture to brand Chinese cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following contemporary Chinese literature, poetry and cinema, contemporary Chinese architecture has, since the 1990s, stepped onto an international stage. Going with the credits established globally, some Chinese architects' works were influenced by the concept of 'La Chinoiserie'. This paper investigates different attitudes towards the concept of 'La Chinoiserie' and strategies architects have been taking as responses to it. Works of Chinese architects including Yung Ho CHANG, WANG Shu, Ma Qingyun, LIU Jiakun and many others, are examined here. As a conclusion, this paper argues that instead of retreating to Chinese cultural tradition and finding nostalgic motifs for design, we might seek architectural positions responsive to massive change at the urban scale. A new value system in making judgments about contemporary Chinese architecture needs to be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kisho Kurokawa (1934-2007) was a world-famous Japanese architect who made his impact on urban architecture in Japan and many other countries. His philosophy of symbiosis influenced several generations of designers and social architects in Japan and the world. In his heyday during the mid 1980s, Kurokawa started a twenty-year journey of architectural design and urban planning in China. His designs in China are closely involved with the contemporary architectural history and practice of the country: for example, in importing foreign architectural design, researching the formal design language and the emerging of private development. The authors traced the footprints of Kurokawa in China and investigated the relevant building and urban design cases. This paper reviews Kurokawa's outstanding works in China, tries to reveal the master's trajectory of adapting 'symbiosis' and 'grey' concepts in different conditions, and fills a gap in the understanding of modern Chinese and Japanese architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Located at one of the key gateways to the world's most populous country, Shanghai has long enjoyed a neoteric image. Today, as one of the world's largest and fastest growing cities, this image is dutifully sustained as Shanghai offers unprecedented opportunities for domestic and international architects who have enjoyed considerable commercial success while helping to transform the urban landscape from an ageing, dense and relatively low-rise setting into a modern, multifaceted and ubiquitously high-rise conglomeration in little under two decades. However, the scale of change and such narrow timeframes belie a broader narrative that deconstructs the pervasive and arguably superficial image of the city. By adopting a wider historical view, the city's radical modernity appears more as an evolutionary rather than revolutionary process in which key issues such as rapid development, urban continuity and the dominance of foreign architects all have played an important role in shaping the city since the mid-19th century. This paper explores these issues from the perspective of Shanghai's urban fabric and the socio-economic influences that have helped to shape it, revealing, in the process, potentially instructive parallels between the past and present that in turn might better inform urban practices in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today's construction industry is overflowing with new ideas about its future. Off-Site Manufacture and Construction (OSCM) is at the heart of the modern construction industry. Much has been written about the state and context of OSCM in different countries regarding its perceived benefits and barriers to implementation. Off-site production (OSP) plays an important role in improving fragmented construction processes. Although most OSP research targets the attitudes and practices of OSP adoption, there is limited understanding of the philosophical issues underpinning OSP-related architecture. The roles of the architects' personal philosophies are neglected and this hampers their implementation of OSM (which has had a largely technical focus). This paper explores the traditional thinking patterns of architects in China and predicts possible future roles for them. It then conceptualizes an "architectural work" mode and a "building product" mode of design and construction and identifies the shortcomings of architects in an OSCM environment. The arguments made are based on practitioners' perceptions and the first author's practical experiences of leading several real-life projects in recent years. The findings reveal the implications and significance of the transformation from an "architectural work" mode to a "building product" mode. We foresee a study approach that focuses on the order and rules for OSCM, resulting in architects' existing mindsets being changed to thinking patterns and design methodologies better suited to OSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focussing on design and engineering architects often forget to translate the quality of their „products‟ into customer value. Understanding this weakness architects have to increase their commitment to marketing. This paper analyses the base for a successful "sustainable architecture" marketing concept with an international perspective. It evaluates the fast growing market potential for sustainable architectural services in the PR China. A sustainable prototype of the author designed and supervised for the PR China serves as case study to evaluate the results of this analysis. As conclusion appropriate marketing strategies for architects and designers with a sustainable or environmental focus are given. It will show the drivers and barriers of entering foreign markets with the innovative product "Sustainable Design" or "Environmental Friendly Architecture". The research findings are valuable for designers and architects who want to enter the Chinese market as well as for companies that already completed projects in foreign markets and want to expand or specialize with an environmental focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis of factors influencing architects' trust in project design teams. We undertook a survey of architects, during which we distributed 193 questionnaires in 29 A-level architectural design institutes selected radomly from the altogether 59 ones in Shenzhen, P. R. China, and received 130 valid questionnaires. We used Amos 6.0 for SEM to identify significant personal construct based factors affecting interpersonal trust. The results show that only social interaction between architects significantly affects their interpersonal trust. The explained variance of trust is not very high in the model. Therefore, future research should add more factors into the current model. The practical implication is that team managers should promote the social interactions between team members such that the interpersonal trust level between team members can be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building design is a very complex process that requires an integration of creativity, rationality and self-organization. Although there are numerous studies that examine how architects learn and apply their knowledge to design new buildings, the design process still cannot be explicitly defined. Because the way that architectural design knowledge is applied to building design cannot he formulated, the term black box is used to represent an architects design mechanism that cannot be logically explained. Designers use intuition and individual past experiences to make heuristic decisions when tackling new situations in building design. These characteristics are similar to the Chinese philosophy of direct insight into the nature and principles and practice of feng shui as applied to building design. Feng shui is traditional Chinese wisdom aimed at creating harmony among the environment, buildings and people. The aims of this paper are to examine the potential of feng shui knowledge as an alternative approach to building design and to derive a conceptual framework based on the principles and practice of feng shui. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay will discuss the phenomenon of world-famous architects in the neoliberal age and their propagation within the Chinese market, focusing on the practice of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). This essay seeks to examine the mechanisms behind BIG’s global stardom. It outlines BIG’s rise to fame and entry into the Chinese architectural market. Taking the case of the Danish Pavilion, it then analyses specific marketing strategies BIG have adopted in advertising the Pavilion to Chinese audiences. It then discusses China’s peculiar market condition and extrapolates BIG’s common strategies for brand building. The essay argues that BIG’s success is underpinned by the use of visual communication for self-promotion, which appeals to wider audiences. Their success is also a testimony of pervasive consumerism. However, the Danish Pavilion does relate to history, culture, or society. The phenomenon of BIG’s architectural stardom is also worrying for the architecture industry and education, which is remains historically embedded in the notion of the singular author and egocentricism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Recent academic works have shed light upon the motives and negotiation dynamics leading to the creation of the New Development Bank (NDB) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). We know less about their day‐to‐day activities and if (and if so why) they are being innovative in the field of multilateral development lending. This article evaluates novelty in the two banks. It uncovers and suggests an explanation to the puzzle of why the NDB appears more innovative (in terms of institutional design, staffing, and lending policy guidelines) than the AIIB by exploring the cases of China and Brazil. The two countries played central roles in the set‐up of each the AIIB and NDB. Drawing on extensive field research, the article proposes that their preferences and capability to engage in institutional innovation depend on interests, status, economic power, and regulatory capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What are the defining qualities of China's current homegrown architectural pioneers, and how might they next evolve? Murray Fraser, Professor of Architecture and Global Culture and Vice‐Dean of Research at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, charts the background of design research from its Western roots, and investigates how recent generations of Chinese architects have been taking it in a new direction – from Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu's Amateur Architecture Studio to Atelier Deshaus, Atelier Archmixing and TAO (Trace Architecture Office). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identified two alternative but potentially simultaneous processes for rural development in China. One is the 'bottom-up' approach where individuals and groups of villagers work innovatively in developing new building construction opportunities, prompted by contemporary and indigenous design and construction methods. The alternative 'top-down' approach is associated with changes caused by external influences, such as directions given from funding sources, and encouragement for the use of specific knowledge and technologies; this is then filtered down through village administrative systems. Two ethnic villages were studied in Yunnan province, an area with a larger rural low-income population than other regions. Each village exhibited strong traditional cultures and each had undergone different tourist redevelopment over a period of more than ten years. The case studies revealed discrepancies between the academic categorization of dwellings in villages based on the representations of traditional culture created by materials and techniques, and the villagers' own perception of the social and cultural meanings of their houses and spaces in the village. The outcomes suggest that architects and designers could have different involvement in rural development through building platforms for discussion and decision-making, used with and amongst stakeholders, and which could link the two different directions of approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented which discusses the study and research of Chinese architectural history during the 21st century, often referencing architecture historiography. The role that the group of Chinese architects known as the First Generation plays in the study of Chinese architectural history in Chinese universities, including in regard to their study of Chinese building design, is discussed. The historiography of architecture in Shanxi province, China, including its cave-temples, is discussed.

The articles the Chinese experimental architecture from the 1990s through the early 2000s, including the influence that Chinese architectural journal "Time + Architecture/Shidai Jianzhu" played in this regard. An overview of Chinese experimental architects, including Yung Ho Chang, Wang Shu, Tang Hua, Wu Yue, and Zhao Bing, is provided. An overview of the architectural criticism published within "Time + Architecture's" articles, including by writer Ming Ke of architecture designed by Yung Ho Chang, is also provided.

On the announcement of the awarding of the Pritzker Prize to the first Chinese architect, Wang Shu, in May 2012, jury chair Lord Palumbo commended him for an architecture that is 'timeless, deeply rooted in its context and yet universal'. Visiting Wang and his work in the ancient city of Hangzhou in Eastern China, shortly afterwards Edward Denison and Guang Yu Ren sought to understand why Wang might have succeeded where other architects have failed in a Chinese and international context, forging an innovative approach to architecture, which is in tune with tradition while being of a 'genuine and often sublime originality'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green buildings can have a more significant impact on their occupant health and productivity through improving indoor environment quality. However, post-occupancy studies invariably pointed out that green buildings were not always more comfortable and productive than non-green buildings. The article presents a comparison study between three buildings in Shenzhen aiming to examine the actual performance of green buildings from occupant point of view. The two green buildings marked a higher satisfaction on the health and productivity perception. However, in-depth examinations on IEQs showed some weaknesses in the two green buildings. On the comfort and satisfaction with the indoor air and temperature, the two green buildings performed better in summer but worse in winter. One of the two green buildings had significantly more noise from different sources than the conventional building. The other green building was significantly less satisfactory on the lighting environment than the conventional building. Implications were discussed for the green building designs and operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interview is presented with architect Chien Chung "Didi" Pei. He discusses his work in China, and the evolution of Chinese models of urban planning. Pei notes that automobiles have largely replaced bicycles in Chinese cities, in the course of 20 years. He discusses traditional Chinese templates of house design and modern Japanese architecture, and mentions the influence of his father, the well-known architect I.M. Pei.

The article focuses on the urban development of historic hutongs, or alleyways, for the upcoming Beijing 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. It explores the traditional courtyards which are being leveled to make way for modern high-rise apartments and offices. It illustrates the ancient neighborhoods which have become prime real estate. The leading architects, who were ignored, argued that the old city should be preserved as a treasure reflecting the values, and that the new administrative center for the event should be built to the west part of the country.

Architectural design is a knowledge-intensive activity. However, architects are not always willing to share their knowledge with their team members. Based on a literature review and in-depth interviews, this research identifies and validates factors as well as the underlying personal constructs that influence architects' interpersonal trust and willingness to share their knowledge in project design teams in China. The results of triangulation data analysis show that there are four factors affecting both interpersonal trust and willingness to share knowledge, i.e. 'team member's attitude towards work', 'team member's ability with regard to work', 'team member's personality' and 'team member's social interaction'. Contrary to previous findings, interpersonal trust is not identified as an individual factor influencing willingness to share knowledge. The personal constructs underlying each factor e.g. 'hard working-lazy when working', etc. are summarized and can be employed as measurement scales in designing future quantitative research, i.e. the explanatory study. Moreover, the identified personal constructs provide directions for the management in architectural design institutes to encourage knowledge sharing behaviour among architects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) firms need to decide on the appropriate market entry mode and business strategies when undertaking projects overseas. The objectives of this research are to investigate the effective market entry modes for penetrating China and the effective business strategies for managing projects in China. The research method is based on a structured questionnaire and data were collected via postal survey. Interviews have been conducted to complement the survey. The results show that establishing a wholly owned subsidiary in China is the most effective entry mode. Foreign AEC firms need to adopt a differentiation strategy by providing niche and superior service. They must also pay great attention to customer satisfaction to gain competitive advantage and clinch and manage projects. To succeed in China, foreign AEC firms need to set up a physical office there, to develop a good understanding of local by-laws, understand client requirements better and therefore provide them with a superior product or service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]