In his book ‘In Praise of Shadows’, the Japanese novelist Junichiro Tanizaki questioned how different things would be if we in the East had developed our own science. He lamented the incongruity and crudeness in the uncritical application of Western design in an oriental context. Tanizaki’s book triggered my thinking that: while time cannot be rewound, how should we use existing science and technology to pursue new possibilities and eliminate the incongruity in architecture? It is instances like this that reminds me there are still many crucial questions about design and production I need answers for. Therefore, I decided to continue my master degree in architecture at GSD, an ideal venue for new enlightenments.
My undergraduate study at the …show more content…
At the 2016 Venice Biennale, I was greatly intrigued by a project – West Village - in my hometown, designed by a local architect, Liu Jiakun. His emphasis on social issues differs widely from the quixotic design mindset I had back then. Eager to learn about his philosophy on critical regionalism, I did a 10-month internship in his studio and, eventually, formed my own stance on his unique design approach. Mr. Liu is very creative in using economic local material to achieve unusual effect, which evoke people’s shared reminiscence about their folk culture. This approach, which he refers to as the ‘low-tech strategy’, is particularly useful in covering up flaws caused by poor construction quality. The success in many of his projects could be attributed to his talent in wielding accessible resource and technology to their full potential. On one hand, I am profoundly inspired by this way of coping with defective workmanship. Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but consider if this is the only way to deal with our current lacking in construction techniques. While we should not eradicate our attachment to tradition, we need to embrace technologies that empower us in executing ideas effectively. Critical regionalism must not be limited as we compromise to technical limitation, but be liberated through a wider range of forms made buildable by our technical
My undergraduate study at the …show more content…
At the 2016 Venice Biennale, I was greatly intrigued by a project – West Village - in my hometown, designed by a local architect, Liu Jiakun. His emphasis on social issues differs widely from the quixotic design mindset I had back then. Eager to learn about his philosophy on critical regionalism, I did a 10-month internship in his studio and, eventually, formed my own stance on his unique design approach. Mr. Liu is very creative in using economic local material to achieve unusual effect, which evoke people’s shared reminiscence about their folk culture. This approach, which he refers to as the ‘low-tech strategy’, is particularly useful in covering up flaws caused by poor construction quality. The success in many of his projects could be attributed to his talent in wielding accessible resource and technology to their full potential. On one hand, I am profoundly inspired by this way of coping with defective workmanship. Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but consider if this is the only way to deal with our current lacking in construction techniques. While we should not eradicate our attachment to tradition, we need to embrace technologies that empower us in executing ideas effectively. Critical regionalism must not be limited as we compromise to technical limitation, but be liberated through a wider range of forms made buildable by our technical