Case Study Kassel Group: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:41, 19 November 2010

---> back to overview of Future Landscapes Group 5

add your case study title Shenyang Architectural University Campus

Name	Shenyang Architectural University Campus
Location	Taizhou City, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province
Country	China
Office	Turenscape/Kongjian Yu/Turenscape and Beijing University Graduate School of Landscape
Client	Shenyang Architectural University
Completion	2004


<googlemap version="0.9" lat="-23.581609" lon="-46.590271" type="satellite" zoom="9" width="300" height="250"> </googlemap>

Core Question 1: In how far does this project reveal your concept of future landscapes?

The key word of the concept for Shenyang Architectural University Campus is productive landscape, which is a efficient and economical land use. Under the reducing arable lands and increasing of population in world, the future landscape should be more efficient and economical. The concept of landscape should be regarded as a good way to solve the problems during the developing process. The vision of future landscapes will be always concerned with the relationship between nature and people.

Landscape and/or urban context

Biogeography, cultural features, overall character, history and dynamics

In March of 2002, the Shenyang City in North China’s Liaoning Province commissioned the designer to create a new, 80 hectares suburban campus for Shenyang Architectural University. The campus was built in the suburbs. The project is one part of the campus at the southwest of the campus, with an area of 3 hectares. The proposed campus was originally a rice field. The rice from here is known for high quality, because of the cool climate and its longer growing season. The soil quality is good and a viable agricultural irrigation system was still in place.

Illustration: Map; sketches; short descriptive analyses

Cultural/social/political context

Brief explanation of culture, political economy, legal framework

Landscape architects must think about the issues of food production and sustainable land use, two of the biggest current issues in China. The arable lands are shrinking due to the rapid urbanization process in China. The valuable and limited resources should be used efficiently. With the developmet towards urbanization, foodproduction landscapes in the country have come under increasing pressure. This project can help make clear the connection between productive agriculture and urban existence.

Illustration: Bullet points, image, background notes

Spatial analysis of area/project/plan

What are the main structural features?

The campus is not only designed to be a campus with small open platforms, spanning the landscape, the campus is also a completely functional rice paddy, complete with its own system of irrigation. Other native crops, such as buckwheat grow in rotation across the campus, annually. Native plants line pathways. Students participate in the sustainable development and food production. Student participation become part of the productive landscape. The farming processes can potentially become a laboratory for students and the faculty as well. Rice paddy became an university icon. The rice produced on the campus as new image of university campus. The project suggests a new form of hybrid landscape that could sustain traditional food production and supporting new uses.

How has it been shaped? Were there any critical decisions?

This project shows how agricultural landscape can become part of the urbanized environment and how cultural identity can be created through an ordinary productive landscape. This project seeks to use rice, native plants and crops to keep the landscape productive while also fulfilling its new role as an environment for learning. The utterly new campus landscape of Shenyang Architectural University was designed with rice and native crops and plants. By doing this, the campus became a unique environment for the students to learn not only from the book, but from the nature and agriculture. Materials and trees from the old campus were reused in this new campus. The natural and agricultural processes and the process of history become part of the studying of the students.