The Fusion of Traditional Taiwanese Courtyard Dwellings and Modern Bioclimatic Technology

Abstract

As a result of a long history of colonialism and immigrant societies, Taiwan’s

many Chinese, Japanese, local and western style buildings stands as a reflection of

the island’s cultural diversity. With rapid globalisation, the issue of preserving valuable

regional heritage in a position where tradition is in fast decline is crucial.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight and demonstrate the importance of

the merging of traditional Taiwanese values and modern day considerations. The

presence of bioclimatic architecture in Spring House introduces new steps in creating

better architecture through the use of traditional vernacular architecture, while

incorporating modern technological advancements promotes self-sustainability in

preparation for unforeseeable natural disasters.

In order to aid the research, literature reviews based on the field of bioclimatic

architecture in East Asia and Taiwan itself were studied. To further understand the

merging of traditional and modern values, published works on Taiwanese courtyard

housing were analysed. To produce a wider and more in depth study of the issue,

research on varied Taiwanese bioclimatic architecture must be conducted. Spring

House by WLA, alongside Courtyard House by Dotze Studio and Beitou National

Library will be presented.

Adopting a base design derived from traditional Taiwanese courtyard housing;

by manipulating the form and spaces within the housing, Spring House allows for a

practical living environment while conserving the core beliefs of a traditional Taiwanese

society. Situated at a location with abundant rainfall but limited water resources,

exposed to typhoons and seismic events, the client requested at the outset with the

idea of self-supply, rainwater reuse and disaster prevention architecture strategies.

Site context remains as an important deciding factor in Taiwanese architecture

design. With a low percentage of buildable land and most of the existing housings old

and grey, Taiwan has taken an approach to make old buildings green, as well as new

buildings that would coexist well with current structures. As a nation with great

technology advancement as well as a great pride in its rich history, a seamless

combination of old and new is highly attainable, as demonstrated in Spring House.

ARC 2213/2234 Asian Architecture