SINO-IDENTITY

Throughout recent decades, China has emerged as a leader in economic and capitalist reform. In a rapid response to these changes, Chinese culture has been exposed to influences of Western lifestyle. In this exposure, the exchange of cultural perspectives leads to a surge in modern design within China. The question emerges: what is Chinese? Methodologies and practices must be understood to allow an architectural response that is both imaginary and sensitive. This book investigates modern China in its relationship to aesthetic, culture, politics, and architecture. Chinese lifestyle and process are discussed to gain a Chinese perspective, allowing approach and generation to be affective. Implementation of technique is further pursued in the academic institution, where students are required to execute projects specific to Chinese methodologies and techniques. Through this application, strategies for approaching design in China can simultaneously be accurate and cross-cultural. The context that drives design expands beyond a physical realm and intersects issues of time, space, and perspective. These design strategies result in considerate, culturally charged projects.