A New Residential Typology, Hangzhou

2015 MA A+U graduate CHANG CHEN presents his thesis project

'As an important city in south east China, Hangzhou has experienced a rapid urbanization process in recent years. Although the living condition of citizens has been improved in recent year, a lot of issues still remain or new issues are exposed. Such a situation has occurred because of a combination of reasons. On the one hand, the authorities did not conduct effective research before the urban design process, which has lead to a misdirection in the project. On the other hand, under pressure from stakeholders to make more profit and exercise cost control, designers are unable to implement the best design for citizens. Therefore, this project is an attempt to design a single apartments for young people who work in the High-Tech district in west Hangzhou. The project aims to solve the current issue in Chinese real estate of high-price, homogenization and poor green space. With in-depth investigation and proper design, the building complex proposed can provide a much more comfortable ‘place’ for young people to live and socialise.'