Eco-Houses—A Philosophy for Architecture

Eco-Houses—A Philosophy for Architecture

As our country undergoes highly rapid urbanisation, traditional houses in the rural area are facing drastic changes. Everywhere in the countryside, modern houses built of cement, steel bars and bricks modelled on concrete houses in the city stand monotonously side by side. Traditional rural dwellings that embody a diverse building culture have been torn down to give way to these structures. This has given rise to a number of ecological problems including severe depletion of energy resources, high ecological cost, health hazards, etc. Farmers, moreover, are faced with a heavy economic burden due to their construction of these new houses. PCD has been introducing farmers in Sichuan to eco-houses as an alternative type of home building. Below are a few online information sources on the concept of eco-houses:

• Animation: “A Letter Home”—A Young Sichuan Farmer Working in the City Doubts Modern Buildings and Reflects on Life in the Rural Area.

• Examples of Eco-Houses in Anji, Zhijiang
  (Click here to download the PPT file – information provided by Mr Ren Weizhong)

• Introduction to the Concept of Eco-houses