This academical paper encompasses the historical and typological research of the current state of Changmen district in the city of Suzhou, China as well as the development of a planning strategy for a consolidation of the district and the design of an architectural concept for a functional upgrade to the city.
Suzhou, PRC. A balanced approach to opening up the poor and densely populated old town of Suzhou to sustainable cultural tourism meant diving deep into the current qualities of the quarter and researching historical and cultural context as well as compareable examples in the area.
Picking up on the pre-dominant typology of the traditional chinese Siheyuan („courtyard house“) and the qualities of the district Changmen in its current state, my team and I developed a strategy for the consolidation of building mass and housing options in the area that would benefit its current population as well as new inhabitants.
„Courtyard+ housing“ is based on the idea of translating the advantages of traditional chinese dwellings into dense modern housing – a reinterpretation of the naturally grown courtyard structure into a modern communal structure of semi-public spaces that provide for access
and basic services. It is not so much an architectural design than rather a spatial strategy that puts a focus on elaborating how most of the qualities of the current housing situation can sustainably be transferred into a future modernized district with an even higher density of population.
The Courtyard+ house is a conceptual modular system that is applicable in various situations within Changmen and can serve a series of functions. It may be constructed in a bandwidth of heights, densities and for different purposes as needed. It incorporates housing as well as many public functions of the city.
AUTHORS
Gerald Mörth, BSc
Alexandra Petrova, BSc
Thomas Simon, BSc
Master Studio “Suzhou” – 2017
Ass.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn. Wolfgang Dokonal
TU Graz
Institut für Städtebau
Rechbauerstraße 12/II
A-8010 Graz