CHINA

China's winning design concept developed by David Knafo (Israel) and entitled "Agro-housing concept," presents a new urban and social vision to combat disordered urbanisation by creating economic, social, and environmental sustainability in a housing project. The principle advantages of this winning design concept include: the creation of sustainable housing conditions; the reduction of the level of air and soil pollution; the improvement of the micro climate of the building; the reduction of the use of energy (cooling and heating); the use of water from the existing high water table and recycled grey water for gardening; and the creation of extra income and new jobs for the inhabitants in the building.

The "Agro-housing concept" allows tenants to produce their own healthy and organic food, thereby reducing the need to travel for food whilst providing a greener neighbourhood. A green house is equipped with a drip irrigation system, natural ventilation and heating system, and offers a diversity of spaces for the benefit of its inhabitants.

Featuring steel facades, this light steel structure will be prefabricated and installed on site. The project has great potential for the future development of sustainable communities in urban China.

Winning architects David Knafo and Tagit Klimor both believe that increasing urbanisation in China calls for new approaches toward urban life in general, and housing in particular, and that architects should play a leading role in suggesting these new forms of dwellings.

According to Mr Knafo, steel allows for freedom and flexibility in the design of structures and the presentation of new ideas and concepts. He believes that the sustainable properties of steel allow it to be utilised in housing models that are more closely related to nature, literally.

"Our firm is extremely excited to see the potential realisation of the Agro-Housing project. It is an extraordinary opportunity to develop an innovative idea that touches the basic existence of man, and has the capacity to become precedence for a new way of living," said Klimor.

He added that the properties of steel and the ability to create pre-fabricated building solutions enable high quality building solutions with precise accuracy via a rapid construction process.

"This leads to a better economical performance and less environmental damage," he said.  

Prefabrication techniques will be employed in the construction of the design of the Agro-Housing project. Exterior panels, for example, will be prefabricated using a modular façade grid, reducing costs to the environment as well as the construction team.

The International Union of Architects-approved jury chaired by prominent architect Andrew Ogorzalek were wowed by the sophisticated vision for future residential development in urban China submitted by David Knafo Tagit Klimor, Architects and Town Planners.  

Mr. Ogorzalek said the jury agreed the design represented a potential new model for dense urban living that was appropriate to the cultural and climatic conditions for urban environments in China. Jury member and renowned advocate for sustainable building, Glen Murcutt said the design presented a "gifting to the residents" of something beyond that for which the competition brief required.

Similar to "Essential Architecture," the "Wuhan Blue Sky Prototype" design reflects environmental care by reducing land use and optimising natural ventilation. The modular structural system is offset in both plan and section in order to shade the dwelling and community spaces from the hot summer sun, while fully welcoming the low winter sun. The building provides maximum daylight and air flow to each unit, and all primary community spaces, stairways and balconies remain an open-aired network. All rooftops make the most of energy production for community and private garden spaces, and all roofs collect and filter rainwater for use as non-potable household water.

This design concept also emphasises integration with the local neighbourhood.  The Blue Sky Prototype itself is planned as an open-air network of pedestrian streets and public gardens at ground level winding up to vertical floor plates.

• << Prev
• Next >>