The Final Winning List of “2019 UIA-CBC International Colleges and Universities Competitive Construction Workshop"

On August 18, 2019, the "2019 UIA-CBC International Colleges and Universities Competitive Construction Workshop" closed. The Construction Workshop is hosted internationally by the International Union of Architects (UIA), co-hosted by Siyang County People’s Government, CBC (China Building Centre), and School of Architecture, Tianjin University, supported by International Urban and Rural Innovation & Development Research Center and China University of Mining and Technology. It is currently the only construction competition in China that has received official recognition and support from UIA.

2019 UIA-CBC International Colleges and Universities Competitive Construction Workshop sets a theme of creating “Pear Orchard Cabins”, taking the “Century-old Pear Orchard” in Siyang County, Jiangsu Province, China, as the construction site. The 15 participant “1+1 joint teams” (one from mainland China in partnership with the one from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and abroad) were selected from 101 universities in 23 countries. The joint teams spent 18 days on building 15 cabins in the orchard as well as a circulation that connects all the dots, contributing to the revitalization of the “Century-old Pear Orchard”. Finally, 3 groups of first prize, 6 second prizes and 6 third prizes were selected by the jury composed of renowned architects, scholars and planners at home and abroad. 

First Prize Work (3 Groups)

Scheme: Wedge in Motion

Joint team: Kunming University of Science and Technology × Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava

Inspired by the pure life philosophy of “walking by the water, sitting and watching the clouds”，Wedge in Motion is based on minimalist space organization technique and creates a cabin, which offers a minimalist life experience in Pear garden. Through the subtle relationship between the simple structure and natural light we present the harmony of the architecture and the natural environment. While exploring the new functions of the century-old pear orchard, we offer many varieties to experience the rural life patterns.

Scheme: The Bamboo Huts

Joint Team: South China University of Technology × Institute for advanced architecture of Catalonia

Finished it by elementary construction skills with villagers, the Bamboo Huts is constructed with concrete plates and bamboos, indicating the leaves and brunch of the main tree. Also, it combines the activities surrounding the tree: social events, living, selling and reception, and at the same time locates the activities into three squares around the structure.

Scheme: Beyond Module

Joint team: Southeast University × Politecnico di Torino

The grass covered up the field with a green cloak, the wooden pavilion was built in the field. In a replicable modular structure, a building was built. A beautiful view of the trees was seen from the high platform. Or fruity aromas wafted out of the wood table. Or the chair was surrounding by fresh grass. Or the starry nights were seen from the rooftop. Design shorten the difference between wooden pixels and natural pixels, creating a harmony relationship with each other. “Beyond Module” will be a great platform to sale the fruits, providing a practical project for villagers and tourists. It will also adapt the tidal properties of rural tourism.

Using the power of design to revitalize the Century-old Pear Orchard

Orchard Village is located in Siyang County, a historic place in China. There are seven ancient pear trees which were planted in Qing Dynasty. The village is called “Century-old Pear Orchard” by the local residents and tourists. The high-quality pear fruit industry and rich cultural heritage provide a good foundation for the tourism development here. However, the existing industry is lacking of support from its upstream and downstream industry. Meanwhile, the related equipment needs to be improved. 

How to upgrade the local industries and revitalize the “century-old pear orchard” are the new challenges for the Orchard Village. CBC and Siyang County People's Government hosted the international construction competition, aggregated dozens of well-known universities at home and abroad, and used the power of design event to activate the village. The construction competition aims at improving the rural infrastructure and public space through acupuncture intervention, as well as creating world-class business cards for the “Century-old Pear Orchard”. while maintaining the diversity of the countryside.

Competition as a method to retain local identity

In August 2019, the "2019 UIA-CBC International Colleges and Universities Competitive Construction Workshop" was conducted in the " Century-old Pear Orchard " in Siyang County. 15 joint teams consisting of 30 well-known Universities at home and abroad took “pear” as core element, built 15 cabins with multiple functions, as well as a circulation that connects all the dots, based on the local fruit industry and culture feature. During the 18 days construction, the teachers and students contributed a lot to exploring the rural revitalization path with the combination of design and industry.

The 15 "Pear Orchard Cabins" serve as a variety of public facilities including rest place, theater, garbage recycling station, exhibition halls, tea house, etc. These construction works activated the "negative space" in the village, and enrich life experience of both villagers and tourist. In addition, the design teams also brought the concept of participatory design into the village. 

It is especially important to build a work which could fit the village environment and the theme of “Pear Orchard Cabin”. “To integrate construction and the local environment, build a work that can be used locally, reflect the logic and relationship of the building, and provide more possibilities for the environment” are the key evaluation criteria. In this regard, 15 joint teams responded with different entry points.

Second Prize Work (6 Groups)

Third Prize Work (6 Groups)