Off-campus UMass Amherst users: To download campus access theses, please use the following link to log into our proxy server with your UMass Amherst user name and password.
Non-UMass Amherst users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this thesis through interlibrary loan.
Theses that have an embargo placed on them will not be available to anyone until the embargo expires.
Access Type
Open Access
Document Type
thesis
Degree Program
Architecture
Degree Type
Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
Year Degree Awarded
2012
Month Degree Awarded
September
Keywords
Chinese, Culture, Reconstruction, Taoism, Feng Shui, Housing
Abstract
Due to the culture revolution, inflation of economy and globalization, China has been suffering from mass unqualified products of architecture, loss of culture and traditions, also unaffordable real estate; causing the instability of the society, in which emptiness, anxiety, uncertainty of people are occupied. Burdons must be released. And culture need to be revitalized. By studying I-Ching and Taoism, the origins of Chinese civilization, finding the philosophy of Tao which can be carried into architecture, the equilibrium between culture and globalization is established. The nation-wide uniformed apartments built under the welfare oriented housing distribution system in the 1980’s, are now either torn down or hidden behind the high rises and forgotten. The ones which are survived from the development of real estate, could be reconstructed to be a nice and affordable community where social interaction is encouraged, virtue of individual is cultivated and culture is renovated. In the philosophy of Tao, when one side is compelling and overwhelming, the counterpart could be perked up by yielding and returning. Therefore, in the design of the reconstruction, deduction is the motion of Tao. Introducing light scoops into the building to created horizontal and vertical courtyard, sunlight, rainwater and wind is able to come into the building. people is able to perceive the nature inside where balance of artificial and the nature is built. Also the light scoop divides the spaces into layers so that people have a private space to think as well as a semi-public space where social interactions are forced to happen. The space of light scoop is functionally blank, though. It is spiritually abondant.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/3264079
First Advisor
Stephen Schreiber
Second Advisor
Kathleen R. Lugosch