Bernardino Regazzoni, Ambassador of Switzerland to China, speaks at the opening of the 2021 Swiss Architecture Month at the Aranya Resort in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, on July 16 (COURTESY PHOTO) 

Imagine working in one of Beijing’s traditional courtyard houses, known as Siheyuan, with views of Beijing’s historic Drum and Bell Towers. For architect Zhuang Ziyu, this traditional and modern office environment is not a dream.  

Zhuang's newly renovated office is located at 7 Dongjiaogan Hutong in Beijing’s Xicheng District, right on the central axis that divides the city into east and west. The renovation project, which took place in the shadow of the Drum and Bell Towers, aimed to turn a traditional Siheyuan into a new office space by creating a timeless interior feel while embracing the surrounding cultural context of the yard.  

"We never planned to rebuild the space exactly as people would remember it. We aimed to create a reflection of the past that would remind people of their typical Beijing childhood experiences, such as walking on the roof and chasing pigeons," said Zhuang at the opening event of the 2021 Swiss Architecture Month on July 16. "What is more exciting, however, is discovering how futuristic the space feels after these traditional elements are reorganized."  

Visitors attend an event on architecture at the Aranya Resort in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, on July 16 (COURTESY PHOTO) 

Preserving identity 

Co-organized by the Embassy of Switzerland in China and Chinese book retailer, Juanzhong Books, the Swiss Architecture Month, a showcase of Swiss and Chinese architecture and art, is being held until mid-August at Aranya Resort, a trendy and artistic tourism-oriented community space in Qinhuangdao on the coast of north China’s Hebei Province.  

The Swiss are known for their innovation and Swiss firms showcase many innovative and highly functional buildings. Many of these are inspired by their surrounding landscapes and are the result of bold and creative use of innovative materials, avant-garde design and sustainable construction technologies.    

"We can see how architects today in Switzerland, just like in China or in the rest of the world, are pushed by current environmental awareness to find effective design solutions that integrate nature and humankind, and that create cohesion and inclusion between the environment, the buildings and their users," Bernardino Regazzoni, Ambassador of Switzerland to China, said when addressing at the event. 

The opening event invited four talented Chinese architects who are well-known for using Western approaches to create designs that appeal to Eastern tastes. The architects shared projects from their portfolios that reflect on the topics of sustainability and integration into the surrounding environment, both pivotal issues in modern architecture. 

Zhuang said he believes there is no single contemporary aesthetic in the world, and buildings from different time periods and different regions each have their own beauty. According to Zhuang, for both conservation of resources and the continuation of rural and traditional culture, it is important to retain old buildings where appropriate. "We try to explore a modern architectural style within a Chinese narrative," he said. 

"When architecture is embedded in a specific cultural and social context, it can generate a sense of community and identity for the local population. Good architecture builds on the history of a place and continues it into the future," Liu Kenan, a design instructor at Tongji University in Shanghai, told the audience. In this way mountain communities can become livable locations and interesting destinations for local excursions, he added. 

Smart and sustainable 

Alongside the Swiss Architecture Month, Aranya is also hosting a design exhibition called Constructive Alps, which highlights new and renovated buildings that are particularly sustainable, as well as construction solutions that improve the quality of life for people living in mountainous and hilly regions. Beginning in Switzerland, the exhibition is now touring cities throughout China. 

Human activities are the principal cause of climate change. Climate change in turn increasingly impacts the environments, societies, and economies on which humanity depends. To meet this global challenge, societies need to both reduce the greenhouse gases they emit and better prepare for climate-related events. 

Architecture can contribute to this goal in many ways and the Constructive Alps exhibition aims to shed light on five aspects of environmentally friendly architectural solutions in the alpine regions: longevity, positive energy balance, sobriety, use of natural materials and respect for the landscape. 

Liu associated sustainability with a concept called "passive architecture," which is related to a designer's desire to use natural energy sources that are internally provided by a building through design rather than relying on energy that is brought in from outside.  

Regarding the choice of building materials, Liu said he did not object to the use of modern, more solid materials. "But the style should match the look of the surrounding environment," he said. 

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson   

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