URBAN DWELLING GUANGZHOU

摘要

China's high urbanisation rate has created more than 150 cities with over 1 million people, including low-income migrant workers from rural areas. Sincethe1998 housing reforms,affordable housing has been in shortage for these "floating populations" in booming industrialised cities. In 2005, Wang Shi, the chairman of China's largest property developer Vanke, became interested in Fujian'straditionalTulouhousing(UNESCO World Heritage listed) as a sustainable form of collective dwelling. With the architects of Urbanus (its three principals are USA-trained, based in Shenzhen and Beijing, and were awarded the 2005 Architectural Record's Design Vanguard), he researched the Tulou housing type with the intention of translating it into modern affordable housing for migrant workers in southern China.