As in most every disaster, the poorest communities are always the hardest hit and have the most difficulty recovering, with some rich heritage lost forever in the struggle as indigenous groups scatter to find food and shelter. Such was the situation after the magnitude 7.3-earthquake and subsequent flooding that took place in Taiwan in 1999 with severe damage incurred by Taiwan's indigenous communities. Taiwan architects Hsieh Ying Chun Architects and Associates were invited to reconstruct housing and communities in these disaster-struck areas and charged with two challenges: to build houses within an extremely tight budget (25%-50% of the market price) and to base the projects on the notion of sustainable construction, green building, cultural preservation and creation of local employment opportunities. Since taking up this challenge, they have played a key role in rebuilding communities for Taiwan's tribal communities.  

Read the project blog

The reconstruction of these indigenous communities became a major battle in the struggle for sustainable construction since the majority of indigenous tribes are located in ecologically sensitive areas, near reservoirs or wildlife-protected areas. Many of these tribes were also facing the very preservation of their unique cultural heritage under economic disadvantages. Addressing their needs for new housing required a holistic approach capable of combining very diverse elements, such as community solidarity, environmental protection and the conservation of tribal cultural heritage. It meant more than building a number of houses but also considered solutions, together with tribal residents, that would preserve the tribe and its culture, resolve land disputes, provide the means to make a livelihood, and build a relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous communities. It also required an innovative approach to tackling economic issues by offering an alternative in the form of a semi-independent construction system, housing cooperatives and micro-finance support strategy. Architect Hsieh approached the project with the idea to promote construction solidarity aims and strengthen a sense of community by mobilizing tribe members to rebuild their own tribe with their own hands.

Architectural design for Song He village, Taiwan

Teaming with developer Atelier-3 Worldwide, Hsieh Ying Chun Architects and Associates first undertook the resettlement of the Thao Tribe, the smallest indigenous tribe in Taiwan. This mobilization also would provide substantial foundation for future challenges.

Light-weight steel construction played a central role in these projects. In an effort to make the housing affordable and accessible to everyone, the architects developed a simplified light-weight steel construction as the main structural elements for the various building types so that local people with no professional skills could participate in the building process. Being an open building system, the designs are adjustable to different needs, and are easy to maintain and replace. At the same time, they can be integrated with traditional cultures as well as the current social and economic conditions of a local area. The lightweight steel structure was combined with indigenous materials such as wood, straw, mud, brick, stone and cement to finish facades, walls, floors and ceilings. Roofs were finished in corrugated sheet steel and bamboo. All connecting points were installed easily with bolts. Most important, residence reconstruction could be completed at 25% of the market price through a community labour exchange.

Architect Hsieh believes that the ideas of sustainable building can become a participatory social movement only when they can be understood by the general public and practiced in daily life. Consequently, the self-building project helped the more than 5,000 people involved in their community reconstruction understand the value and idea of building "green" for the sake of the tribe's future. During the community rebuilding process, various environmental practices were introduced in a way that allowed the tribe to make environmentally-friendly practices a part of daily living rather than simply ideas.

The architects extended the experiences gained from the rehabilitation of the Thao tribe, with further design and planning, to assist other tribal communities. Professional skills and management training were also conducted in the process of promoting construction solidarity. As a result of the training provided through the Thao and other projects, the region now employs a construction team of 15 long-term and 20 part-time workers who have joined the effort to not only reconstruct tribal communities but find employment in commercial construction projects as well. Over 300 units, comprising residences, libraries and schools, have been constructed for the Thao and five other indigenous tribes of Taiwan.

The experience with the 1999 Taiwan construction led the Atelier-3 Worldwide and Hsieh Ying Chun Architects and Associates team to begin promoting ecological housing in China's rural areas as well as to participate in the ongoing effort to reconstruct communities in Indonesia's tsunami-affected area.

Source: Hsieh Ying Chun Architects and Associates Design Portfolio, Living Steel 1^st International Architecture Competition for Sustainable Housing Expression of Interest, 2006.