The Young Designer Competition intends to solicit creative spatial renovation and trade mix proposals from domestic and international young architects, teachers and students as well as interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary practitioners aged below 40 (inclusive), who have been engaged in architecture or related disciplines. Participants are encouraged to choose a location for their own research within the given site area. The design proposal may be implemented upon approval from the local government.
In rural renovation and development, more thoughts and opportunities should be given to the continuation of local culture and history. Nowadays, with an increasing desire to return to rural life and relieve homesickness, the most appealing topic for all sectors of the society is to activate the original rural spaces with combined design and innovation efforts in view of villages, villagers and traditional village crafts as an organic whole, so as to identify the source of vitality to invigorate the rural area from the inside out. In the meantime, among the nationwide rural revitalization efforts, the most positive way to preserve rural culture is to gradually integrate the aboriginal cultures with the new ones for further refinement, and realize thorough transformation of the rural area through culture and creativity.
In this context, Gangtou Village in Huadu District, Guangzhou, which features unique regional characteristics and huge development potentials, is selected as the site for this Competition.
Just like many other traditional villages, Gangtou Village is also faced with challenges such as underdeveloped industries, resources in urgent need of development and serious population drain. To address these challenges, this Competition will take “Q-Village • Gangtou” as the theme, center around enhancing the fun features of rural built spaces on the principle of minimal demolition and re-construction, and renovate traditional buildings to accommodate compatible functions and trades.
Participants are required to take local Lingnan culture as the starting point, and implant their design into the original village in the most humble way, so as to revive the village with the power of design, find the lost cultural memories in the continuation of rural life and aesthetics, and rebuild the self-confidence of rural culture.
A 600-year old traditional village in Huadong Town, Huadu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, Gangtou Village covers a total land area of 2.83 km2. Facing the south, the village features a typical Cantonese dwelling layout that resembles a comb, which is known as “comb-style layout”. About 20,000m2 of ancient buildings of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Republican Period are well preserved in the village, including private houses, ancestral temples and ancient bridges, making it an “open-air museum of Lingnan architecture”.
Awards:-
The best projects will be awarded with certificates, in addition to the following prizes:
- First Prize – (1 Team): 14,000 USD
- Second Prize – (3 Teams): 4,000 USD
- Third Prize – (8 Teams): 1,400 USD
Deadline:- 15-11-2020
