An increasing number of traditional buildings, especially rural ones, have been abandoned due to society’s development. The Tulou are located in remote places in China with inconvenient transportation and underdeveloped environment.

In buildings built to hold hundreds of people, only five or six residents remain. They are mostly old-timers, frail and living alone. With the development of new housing with modern facilities in rural China, many people, especially young ones, started moving out of the Tulou in the 1990s who migrated to larger places for better jobs. With the loss of residents, Tulou has lost its meaning as residential buildings. However, Tulou is only an epitome of lost vernacular architecture.

This project aims to provoke an emotional connection between Chinese vernacular culture and any vernacular culture to raise attention. Besides, vernacular design always represents sustainability, so this project also aims to inspire potential vernacular design principles applied to other design fields.

Image source Read01