Comments on: Tulou affordable housing project in China / Urbanus

By: Serena Grosland

Serena Grosland — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:21:26 +0000

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By: HowardG

HowardG — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 06:09:35 +0000

Read my original comment… and think of the consequences of controlled oppression. Then apply those thoughts to the facts that if one had a reasonable freedom of CHOICE they would not live in such a building.

This is controlled poverty. Just as the Renminbi / Yuan value is falsely controlled at a lower rate… as are peaceful protestors. It goes on and on…

This building’s context is enclosed. FYI I’m not calmed up.

By: As If

As If — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 05:45:37 +0000

calm down, no one asked you to live there. Comparing the Catholic Church’s rule and a housing unit that people CHOOSE to live in located in crowed China, bit of a stretch. If you feel so strongly for the people living in the building, why don’t you go help them break out of their “prison”?

By: HowardG

HowardG — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:23:52 +0000

os do you have mature, intelligent comment?

By: Thankful

Thankful — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 01:59:27 +0000

All that have lived in this building would disagree. It’s not like they have a choice between there and a better place. This is a CHEAP housing unit made to be rented out. If your income was like that of the people currently inhabiting it, you would be thankful that such a small pay got you a place to live. China has a huge population. Unless they try to fit 6 to a room, I would sya this is quite effective.

By: shabib

shabib — Tue, 25 May 2010 06:35:15 +0000

i ;ike it

By: ivy yi

ivy yi — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:49:52 +0000

well, i generally don’t think this building is a sensitive response to the process of urbanization in China. some spaces are really inhumane. I understand the high density situation but i really do not believe turing a vernacular into something modern with new functions is working… we need a bit of more innovation from the very underlying.

By: Hakka 2009 - The diary of Jakob Knulp

Hakka 2009 - The diary of Jakob Knulp — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 06:51:02 +0000

[...] This year URBANUS, one of the leading chinese firms won several prizes with this project read more about it on archdaily [...]

By: EdV

EdV — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:15:41 +0000

http://mongkol.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/world-heritage-2008-fujian-toulou/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulou

…some historic background!

By: sullka

sullka — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:19:47 +0000

I agree with Mr. Howard, other’s might be to young or innocent to know otherwise.

It’s just a circular prison.

I also agree with Laura when she mentions about the high density in China.

however, I don’t think the solution is to construct a new “hip wowloon walled city”:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon_Walled_City

I get a little worried when I see the “mixed use” label on projects regardless of where they’re located.

Can someone show me a “successfull mixed-use social housing” project?

By: Mr. Cheap

Mr. Cheap — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 10:41:38 +0000

I don’t know enough about the project to characterize is at oppressive. To me the spatial qualities “inside” the project look like they are intimate while grand at the same time.

What would you do if you were given a plot in a modernist-greenscape-horror site like this ? How would you respond to the site ? Maybe is it not to bad to create the circle, and then give people something totally different inside ?

Perhaps this project gives it’s inhabitants and residents something completely different than what the site offers ? Maybe it’s the best stratergy, -to escape the surroundings ?

By: Laura

Laura — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 09:20:47 +0000

I wish they had indluded a little bit of historic background… A Tulou (“earth building”) is actually a traditional building form in the south-east of China. And although I generally agree with the criticism mentioned here, one has to keep in mind that this is China, high density is therefore mandatory.
I still think it is not a bad idea to reinterpret your traditional housing forms – although they could have used the original material, rammed earth, which would be much more sustainable and innovative.

By: HowardG

HowardG — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 08:26:23 +0000

http://www.answers.com/topic/panopticon

By: HowardG

HowardG — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 08:14:08 +0000

My Cheap – people HAVE been oppressed by libraries. It is a well recognised fact that the Catholic Church for centuries kept books, education and reading FROM ‘subjects’ as a means of power and thus oppression.

Certainly the Chinese Govt has spent hundreds of millions over many years revising history and republishing books to suit their version of events. Out of ignorance of truth people are oppressed – kept down – so as to be controlled.

Perhasp you are unfamiliar with the word: oppression – noun : 1. the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.
4. the feeling of being heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles, adverse conditions, anxiety, etc.

Yep burdensome = close proximity / overbearing building / height, paucity of light. That will difinitely get to you in a circular environment. You DO know of the Panopticaon / Panemoticon and modern prison design – don’t you! This page at MIT may help : http://alumni.media.mit.edu/~carsonr/phd_thesis/ch01.html#id2532402

By: archdork

archdork — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 06:00:50 +0000

you gotta be kidding me. I thought you are living in 21 century!? Don’t people now have enough sense of what fundamental and social rights are?! Let them live like a human being!!

By: Axel

Axel — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:40:56 +0000

Yes, this is the ghetto
http://vodpod.com/watch/1316947-donny-hathaway-the-ghetto

By: Fino

Fino — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:08:51 +0000

Inhumane and a prime example of the ghettoization of a class of people. I thought we were pass this by now?

that is all.

By: kc

kc — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:37:29 +0000

The way they render it, as if there is some decent light, in reality will not be this way at all. At least break it apart or something, extend some parts..

By: os van kerck

os van kerck — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:36:51 +0000

HowardG Go home…

By: kc

kc — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:34:25 +0000

If only they lowered the outer ‘circle’ to make it about 3 stories and usable roof; no more, otherwise it’s like some prison. They have libraries too! The project does not take into account the site at all, and generally circles are pretty oppressive in my opinion. Just build regular mid-size blocks with lots of green space in between and people will make the use of it the way they want. Last thing that you want living with little income is have darkness in your room. Oppressive project the way it is right now.