The work of Amateur Architecture Studio with its focus on reconnecting to ancient techniques that are environmentally, socially, and culturally sustainable is featured at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice. The internationally acclaimed architects Wang Shu and Lu Wenyu are leveraging their standing within architecture to influence political decisions that have seen the traditional villages of China almost fully dismantled and replaced by mediocre replicas over the past twenty years.

Internationally-acclaimed architect Wang Shu, a former Holcim Awards prize-winner, has been selected as the Pritzker Prize Laureate for 2012. The Pritzker Prize is recognized as one of the highest honors in the world of architecture. This year’s prize hand-over will take place in Beijing on May 25. As cited by the Pritzker Prize jury, Wang Shu’s work is able to transcend the dichotomy between architecture anchored in tradition and architecture looking only toward the future to produce works that are timeless, deeply rooted in context and yet universal.

The series of five structures that reinterpret the traditional building culture were commissioned in 2004 and completed by 2008 in a 25 hectare park in the center of the Yinzhou New Town, Ningbo District. The series of five structures were completed by 2008 in a 25 hectare park in the center of the Yinzhou New Town, Ningbo District, 250km south of Shanghai.

USD 220,000 in prize money was presented to the best submissions from Asia Pacific in the Holcim Awards competition for sustainable construction projects. The competition run by the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction in collaboration with five of the world’s leading technical universities aims to promote sustainable approaches to the built environment.

With a compelling case made for reinterpreting the concept of harmony between human occupation and nature, this project manifests an innovative translation of a traditional house typology into a modern dwelling. 

From southern China, this entry makes a compelling case for reinterpreting the traditional building culture. An innovative translation of a historical house typology to a series of modern dwellings is proposed for the city center. Ecologically, the project is merited for its sensitive deployment of low-cost natural resources, reactivating the manufacture of low-tech, handmade structures, and the use of recycled materials. By promoting the use of local materials and traditional craftsmanship, the buildings require less maintenance, have a smaller impact on the environment, and are more energy efficient. In this sense, a balance is struck between nature and human occupation.