Reinterweaving Cultural Mixed Use Social Housing

Reinterweaving Cultural Mixed Use Social Housing

Reinterweaving Cultural Mixed use Social Housing is an innovative architectural design project that seamlessly integrates social housing with cultural preservation and agricultural heritage in Taiwan's Qingpu district. This groundbreaking design concept, created by Lang-Wen Ma and I Chung Hsu, represents a sophisticated approach to contemporary residential architecture that harmoniously blends traditional rice farming culture with modern living spaces. The design, which earned a Bronze A' Design Award in Architecture, Building and Structure Design category, features a distinctive combination of organic and modular forms, incorporating the region's unique topographical elements such as ponds, hills, and the Laojie river into its structural composition. The complex encompasses a multi-tiered development where the lower floors (first through third) serve as commercial and artistic spaces, featuring workshops equipped with specialized machinery and a library, while the upper levels provide residential accommodations. A notable architectural feature is the concrete shell structure that creates curvilinear terrain-profile columns and ceilings, reflecting the distinctive geography of Taoyuan. The design makes extensive use of rice straw as a building material, incorporating it into partition walls, furniture, and decorative elements, paying homage to Taiwan's agricultural heritage. The rooftop is ingeniously designed as a rice paddy, offering visitors an authentic experience of traditional farming landscapes. This innovative approach to social housing demonstrates how architectural design can foster community interaction, preserve cultural heritage, and create sustainable living environments while addressing modern housing needs.

sustainable architecture, cultural preservation, mixed-use development, social housing design, agricultural heritage, community integration

— Adam Dawson

CITATION : "Adam Dawson. 'Reinterweaving Cultural Mixed Use Social Housing.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=437496 (Accessed on July 03, 2025)"