2019 UIA-CBC International Colleges and Universities Competitive Construction Workshop

Started in 2016 International Colleges and Universities Construction Competition initiated by CBC (China Building Centre), this annual event has been successfully hosted in different places of China and acquired a wide recognition at home and abroad. This year, International Union of Architects (UIA) joined as the international supporter of this event and make it the first China-based International construction competition on such level.

While continuing the exploration of “Design Activates Village”, this competitive construction workshop choose a beautiful pear orchard in the Guoyuan Village, China as the site and distinguished itself from previous ones by encouraging participation of colleges and universities from China and abroad in a form of “1+1 joint team” (one from mainland China in partnership with the one from Hongkong, Macau, Taiwan and abroad).

Theme: Pear Orchard Cabins
Time: August, 2019
Place: Guoyuan Village, Siyang County, China
Registration Deadline: 28th, February, 2019
Official Website: http://constructionworkshop.chinabuildingcentre.com/en_index.html
Awards: First Prize: 3 teams, trophy+certificate+20,000RMB bonus (around 3,000USD, before tax); Second Prize: 6 teams, trophy+certificate+10,000RMB bonus (around 1,500USD, before tax); Third Prize: 6 teams, trophy+certificate+5,000RMB bonus (around 750 USD, before tax)

About the Workshop

2019 UIA-CBC International Colleges and Universities Competitive Construction Workshop attempts to provide an architectural practice platform that enables students to walk out of their classroom, face the real environment and issues, and implement the full practice from design to construction. By offering practical construction opportunities, the workshop intends to make students understand the Genius Loci through different lens, immerse themselves in architectural spaces, and learn things that will instruct their future design and practice.

2019 UIA-CBC International Colleges and Universities Competitive Construction Workshop walks into Guoyuan Village, Aiyuan Town, Siyang County, Suqian City, Jiangsu. Taking the century-old pear orchard as the site, this year’s Competitive Construction Workshop sets a theme of creating “Pear Orchard Cabins” that can improve quality of living in the village surrounded by the orchard. The participating teams will design 15 cabins in the orchard as well as infrastructure that connects the whole community in order to contribute to the revitalization of the “Century-old Pear Orchard”, and also to explore a path for changing villages by the power of design.

About Siyang

Well known as “Sea of Forest on the Plain”, Siyang is located in Suqian, Jiangsu Province. It is not only the home of poplar but also a secret place of a century-old pear orchard. Siyang is located in northern Jiangsu plain as an interactive zone of Huaihai Economic Zone, Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone and Urban Axis along the Canal. Capital of ancient Sishui city, Siyang is abundant in natural resources where five major river systems converged and famous Si Guoyuan (a brand) crispy white pears originated.

Guoyuan Village located in Aiyuan County belongs to Siyang, and under its ministration are six smaller villages. With mild climate and unique position of natural and historic advantage, a century-old pear orchard was planted there in the year of 1773. After more than two hundred years, seven old pear trees are still luxuriant and so got a name of “seven venerable gentlemen’ as witnesses for the history.

Theme Interpretation: Pear Orchard Cabins

The theme of this year’s workshop is “Pear Orchard Cabins”, which takes a century-old pear orchard in Siyang County of Jiangsu Province as the site which has been confronted with the problem of primary and monotonous industrial development. 15 joint teams (1+1) from renowned international and domestic universities will be involved to discuss how to “activate villages through design”. The teams will use a limited space to design and construct their cabin in order to provide more activity solutions to the villagers and visitors. The design should be based on the element of “pear” and picture future scenarios embracing countryside spatial experience and pear-related themes all the way from design to constructions or construction. The design content is not limited to installations and may also include consideration of the site and the environment.

As an integral part of village revitalization plan, the workshop seeks to explore a rural public architectural form than can fit in with nature. By linking up the 15 “Pear Orchard Cabins” in the century-old orchard with a continuous infrastructure, it emphasizes the fun experience of exploring the place, activates the heart of the village and injects the power of design into the basic mode of rural production, driving the change and improvement of rural lifestyle and providing a paradigm for rural construction.

Task Specifics

1) Under the guidance of the “Village Revitalization Plan” of Guoyuan Village, a piece of land for the singular design of “Pear Orchard Cabin” is to be selected. Participants need to study such elements as place, space, material, scale and perception based on the formation, overlaying or transformation of the structure. Each cabin covers an area about 50m2 to 100m2.
2) Participating teams are expected to determine the function of the cabins and design creatively based on the suggestions on types of business. Please see the suggestions in the Appendix on the official website: http://constructionworkshop.chinabuildingcentre.com/en_down.html
3) The main material must be rural and be merged into the original landscape in the most modest way. Timbers and bamboos are available choices. “Pear branches” should be reproduced in the design as a decoration to preserve the village landscape of the century-old pear orchard.
4) The design should stick to the theme in consideration of rural construction, nature and culture, responding to the demand of sustainable rural development and status quo of the site. Take more innovative approaches and utilize rural materials to create an artistic work conveying both affections and philosophy of life.

Workshop Agenda

Each international college or university (Hongkong, Macau, Taiwan and abroad) is required to be partner with (intended) one from mainland China to form a “1+1” joint team and register accordingly. During construction, each university should at least assign 1 teacher leader to the site for instruction of on-site construction.

The workshop consists of two stages, which is design and on-site construction respectively, and there will be two rounds of corresponding review.
1) In design stage, all joint teams will conduct the design and submit design results. The jury committee will review all the schemes and select 15 joint teams.
2) In construction stage, the 15 selected joint teams will finish the on-site construction and the jury committee will review the final built-up work and decide the award winners.

Detailed agenda as following:

28th, February, 2019: Registration deadline
31st, March, 2019: Design Proposal Submission deadline
Early April: 15 joint teams are selected to construct their design works by jury review committee with the aid from the organizing committee.
1st, July: The final proposals shall be determined by 1st, July, 2019, with the construction disclosure of all joint teams completed and the lists of required materials and tools submitted.
31st, July: Site formation and construction in advance completed.
1st – 15th, August: On-site construction.
Information: for any questions regarding the workshop, please submit them via email to constructionworkshop@chinabuildingcentre.com
For more information and updates, please follow UED Wechat Account or use the official website of UIA International Colleges and Universities Competitive Construction Workshop: http://constructionworkshop.chinabuildingcentre.com/en_index.html

About the Organizers

International Supporter: International Union of Architects (UIA)
Sponsor: Siyang County People’s Government, CBC (China Building Centre), School of Architecture, Tianjin University
Advising Institution: Steering Sub-committee for Guidance in Architecture Teaching, Steering Committee for Guidance in Architecture & Related Programs Teaching in Higher Educations Institutions, Ministry of Education of PRC
Technical Support Entity: School of Architecture & Design, China University of Mining and Technology
Supporting Media: Urban Environment Design (UED) Magazine