SHENZHEN BIENNALE

RESIDENTIAL, CULTURAL

Location Shenzhen, China
Program Exhibition
Status Exhibited 2015
Supporters Plimpton-Shattuck Fund, CRH/ Old Castle, Dr. Nezih Cereb/Histogenetics , NYIT

Since 2015, NOA has researched the history of vernacular and pre-industrial built environments in order to better understand indigenous solutions for climate-resilient housing. Spatial and ecological performance analysis of our findings initially led to a catalog of passive design strategies with twenty-five case studies that cut across climates and cultures: from the semi-private courtyards ventilating Beijing hutongs to the shared walls minimizing solar heat gain in North African medinas.

FROM COLLECTIVE FORM TO ECOLOGICAL URBANISM, THIS EXHIBITION OFFERS AN ALTERNATE TRAJECTORY FOR CLIMATE RESILIENT HOUSING

From mud brick wind towers in Yemen to stepped terraces in Greece, the catalog focuses on “clustered housing,” which we define as multi-family dwelling units gathered around shared public spaces and communal passageways that are resistant to harsh climactic conditions. From this data, we hope for the emergence of new techniques and patterns in design that foster passive and low energy architecture with conditions favoring natural ventilation, passive cooling and heating, and density without heat.