Bulletin No. 1, 2009
The Campus Still Cares 27 Helping Them to Help Themselves Funded by Wu Zhi Qiao (Bridge to China) Charitable Foundation, a team comprising teachers and students from the Department of Architecture at CUHK and Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology led 25 villagers at Huili County, Liangshan State, which was hit by the earthquake, to build the first sustainable, low-cost and anti-seismic farmhouse at Maan Village. After an effort of some three months, the model house was completed before the Chinese New Year in 2009. Prof. Edward Ng from the Department of Architecture at CUHK said, ‘Our village house prototype is different from the conventional brick-and-concrete village house which consumes a lot of energy and has great environmental impac t. The design is based on a traditional mud brick courtyard with living spaces for both humans and their animals, and combined with scientific innovation to improve structural stability and ventilation. Moreover, we try to build with local materials and skills following the principle of “High Science and Low Technology”.’ Under the guidance of the team, the villagers reemployed construction waste resulting from the quakes to build houses. With the endorsement and support of the Ministry of Housing and Urban- Rural Development (MOHURD), the team made use of their experience and study results to produce an illustrated reader-friendly booklet for the villagers of rural Sichuan, that contains instructions on how to rebuild their homes in a self-reliant and scientific way. The project serves as an example for the rebuilding of farmhouses in other rural areas. The government of Huili County estimates that a minimum of 50 million yuan could be saved if the entire county uses this method to build houses. This project, which serves as an example of self-help and mutual support, is the first joint effort by MOHURD and a Hong Kong charitable NGO to reconstruct quake-ravaged areas. This support programme will not only bring relief to the victims, but will also serve as a source of hope and confidence. I hope that Wu Zhi Qiao could get the message across to everyone that nobody will be forgotten. Prof. Edward Ng, Chairman, Council of Management, Wu Zhi Qiao (Bridge to China) Charitable Foundation ’ ‘ Local villagers have been fully engaged in the construction of the first village house prototype. Photo: Wu Zhi Qiao (Bridge to China) Charitable Foundation
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