Xiamutang Workshop: A Lesson in Climate, Construction, and Community

Context

In 2019, I participated in a semester-long International Construction Workshop in Xiamutang, a collaborative design-build effort between the CBC Architecture Center, the School of Architecture at Tianjin University, and the Oslo School of Architecture and Design.

The brief was part of a larger rural revitalization masterplan. Xiamutang was historically a "hollow village", suffering from severe depopulation as young people left for cities. Under the "Fun Village" initiative, our goal was to design and physically build a community facility that would bridge agriculture and education: "The Wall: Xiamutang Children’s Dining and Teaching Restaurant". The project was divided into a design phase at our respective campuses and a one-month physical realization on site.

The Design Phase and Environmental Realities

During the design phase, our mixed team of Chinese, Norwegian, and exchange students faced typical collaborative hurdles, compounded by language barriers. As the design evolved, the core concept settled on a layout named The Wall. It utilized five freestanding red brick walls built along the sloped topography, framing views of the adjacent canola fields and creating functional zones for storage, cooking, and dining.

However, my primary concern lay in the engineering. Southwest China’s subtropical climate brings heavy rains, high humidity, and damp soil. The group’s design relied on traditional strip foundations without robust waterproofing. Anticipating these challenges, I advocated for elevating the structure on screw piles to allow natural ventilation beneath the floor.

Driven by these concerns—and a desire to explore alternative climate-responsive principles—my classmate Boramy Sina and I developed a complete alternative proposal from scratch, ‘The Egg’. While well-received by our Chinese partners, the Oslo School of Architecture and Design declined it on procedural grounds because it hadn't emerged from the official group voting process. It was a fair call procedurally, even if frustrating at the time.

The Construction Phase

When the entire team relocated to Xiamutang for the construction phase, reality set in. We worked from dawn until dusk every day for 38 days.

Almost immediately, a severe downpour completely washed out our newly excavated foundation trenches. While stressful, this washout was a harsh validation of my earlier warnings regarding the local climate. From that point on, my civil engineering background became my real contribution. I focused on setting out, supervising wood-to-concrete joint details, and problem-solving on the spot to ensure the timber structure would endure the environment despite the initial compromises in its foundation design.

The Reward

By the grand opening, only a handful of us students remained. To celebrate, we organized a pancake-cooking class in our newly finished kitchen for the local children.

Watching the kids explore the space, run through the openings in the red brick walls, and wash their hands at the outdoor basin we designed was deeply moving. Seeing the architecture come alive through its users felt like the ultimate reward for the sweat and frustration of the previous weeks.

Legacy and Recognition

What started as a challenging student workshop went on to achieve major international acclaim. In 2020, The Wall won the prestigious Young Talent Architecture Award (YTAA) 2020 (Asia Edition), organized by the Fundació Mies van der Rohe. It was the first-ever winner of the YTAA Asia Edition and the only Chinese project recognized that year.

Today, the restaurant serves as an active community hub. It supports "left-behind children" whose parents work in distant cities, offering them a space to gather, learn about local agriculture, and interact with visiting families. The project successfully catalyzed sustainable tourism, helping to revitalize Xiamutang's economy.

Reflection

It would be easy to reflect on Xiamutang purely through the lens of whose name is on the final drawings. But architecture is more than just authorship. What I take away from this experience is a deep respect for the unforgiving nature of climate and materials, the value of my civil engineering roots on a chaotic site, and the realization that a building's true worth is ultimately defined by the community it serves.