The annual UIA-CBC International Colleges and Universities Competitive Construction Workshop dated from 2016 provides an architectural practice platform that enables students to walk out of their classroom, face the real environment and issues, and implement the full practice from design to construction. By offering practical construction opportunities, the workshop intends to have students thoroughly understand the Genius Loci, feel the architectural space, and learn things that will instruct their future design and practice.

2019 UIA-CBC International Colleges and Universities Competitive Construction Workshop walks into Guoyuan Village, Aiyuan Town, Siyang County, Suqian City, Jiangsu. Taking the century-old pear orchard as the site, this year’s Competitive Construction Workshop sets a theme of creating “Pear Orchard Cabins” that can improve quality of living in the orchard. The participating teams will design 15 cabins in the orchard as well as infrastructure that connects the whole community in order to contribute to the revitalization of the “Century-old Pear Orchard”, and also to explore a path for changing villages by the power of design.

Theme of the 2019 UIA-CBC International Colleges and Universities Competitive Construction Workshop: Pear Orchard Cabins

The site of the 2019 UIA-CBC International Colleges and Universities Competitive Construction Workshop (2019) is located at Guoyuan Village, Aiyuan Town, Siyang County, a typical trading town at the boundary between two provinces, which is famous for its “crisp white pears”. Inside the orchard, there are “seven trees” which are more than 100 years old, giving this place the name of “Century-old Pear Orchard”. However, the orchard is now in urgent need of revitalization as the village has been confronted with the problem of primary and monotonous industrial development.

The theme of this year’s workshop is “Pear Orchard Cabins”, which takes the whole 100-year-old orchard as the site of design where 15 selected teams from renowned international and domestic universities will be involved to discuss how to “activate villages through design”. The teams will use a limited space to design and construct their cabin in order to provide more activity solutions to the villagers and visitors. The design will be based on the element of “pear” and picture future scenarios involving countryside spatial experience and pear-related themes all the way from design to constructions or construction. The design content is not limited to installations and may also include consideration of the site and the environment.

As an integral part of village revitalization plan, the workshop seeks to explore a rural public architectural form than can fit in with nature. By linking up the 15 “Pear Orchard Cabins” in the century-old orchard with a continuous infrastructure, it emphasizes the fun experience of exploring the place, activates the heart of the village and injects the power of design into the basic mode of rural production, driving the change and improvement of rural lifestyle and providing a paradigm for rural construction.

Well known as “Sea of Forest on the Plain”, Si Yang is located in Su Qian, Jiangsu Province. It is not only the home of poplar but also a secret place of a century-old pear orchard. Si Yang is located in northern Jiangsu plain as an interactive zone of Huaihai Economic Zone, Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone and Urban Axis along the Canal. Capital of ancient Si Shui city, Si Yang is abundant in natural resources where five major river systems converged and famous Si Guoyuan (a brand) crispy white pears originated.

Guo Yuan Village located in Ai Yuan County belongs to Si Yang, and under its ministration are six smaller villages. With mild climate and unique position of natural and historic advantage, a century-old pear orchard was planted there in the year of 1773. After more than two hundred years, seven old pear trees are still luxuriant and so got a name of “seven venerable gentlemen’ as witnesses for the history.