Hsieh Ying-chun
Encyclopedia
Hsieh Ying-chun (born 1954 in Taichung County
(now part of Taichung City, Taiwan
) is a Taiwanese architect
and contractor
.
In his socially engaged work Hsieh has been helping people rebuild their homes ever since the devastating earthquake
in Taiwan 1999, when his reconstruction project for the Thao Tribe gained him international recognition. Hsieh organized the reconstruction of housing and communities in disaster-struck areas and charged with two challenges: to build houses within an extremely tight budget (25%-50% of the market price) and to base the projects on the notion of sustainable construction, green building, cultural preservation and creation of local employment opportunities. Hsieh has played a key role in rebuilding communities for Taiwan's tribal communities
.
In more recent years, Hsieh has continued to help people build their own houses, from the remote villages of China
to the sufferers of the South East Asian Tsunami
.
When we face the future challenge of environmental crisis, a one-dimensional technical thought process is inadequate; the considerations must be broadened to cultural, economical, and environmental levels.
Hsieh represented Taiwan in the Venice Architecture Biennale
2006 and Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art 2009. Hsieh is WEAK! together with Roan Ching-yueh
and Marco Casagrande
. The WEAK! operates an independent architectural research centre Ruin Academy
as their headquarters in Taipei.
The Curry Stone Design Prize 2011 was awarded to Hsieh Ying-Chun to champion the designer as a force of social change building more than 3.000 homes with local people in natural disaster zones in Taiwan and Mainland China.
Taichung County
Taichung County was a county in central Taiwan, the Republic of China, that surrounded but did not include Taichung City. The name Taichung means "central Taiwan"...
(now part of Taichung City, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
) is a Taiwanese architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and contractor
Independent contractor
An independent contractor is a natural person, business, or corporation that provides goods or services to another entity under terms specified in a contract or within a verbal agreement. Unlike an employee, an independent contractor does not work regularly for an employer but works as and when...
.
In his socially engaged work Hsieh has been helping people rebuild their homes ever since the devastating earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
in Taiwan 1999, when his reconstruction project for the Thao Tribe gained him international recognition. Hsieh organized the reconstruction of housing and communities in disaster-struck areas and charged with two challenges: to build houses within an extremely tight budget (25%-50% of the market price) and to base the projects on the notion of sustainable construction, green building, cultural preservation and creation of local employment opportunities. Hsieh has played a key role in rebuilding communities for Taiwan's tribal communities
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
.
In more recent years, Hsieh has continued to help people build their own houses, from the remote villages of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to the sufferers of the South East Asian Tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
.
When we face the future challenge of environmental crisis, a one-dimensional technical thought process is inadequate; the considerations must be broadened to cultural, economical, and environmental levels.
Hsieh represented Taiwan in the Venice Architecture Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
2006 and Venice Biennale of Contemporary Art 2009. Hsieh is WEAK! together with Roan Ching-yueh
Roan Ching-yueh
Roan Ching-Yueh is a Taiwanese architect, writer, curator and an Associate Professor of Department of Art Creativity and Development, Yuan Ze University.-Books:...
and Marco Casagrande
Marco Casagrande
Marco Casagrande, , is a Finnish architect, environmental artist, architectural theorist, writer and professor of architecture. He graduated from Helsinki University of Technology department of architecture .- Early life :...
. The WEAK! operates an independent architectural research centre Ruin Academy
Ruin Academy
Ruin Academy is an independent cross-over architectural research center in the Urban Core area of Taipei City, Taiwan. It is 'set to re-think the industrial city and the modern man in the box' through research and a series of workshops....
as their headquarters in Taipei.
The Curry Stone Design Prize 2011 was awarded to Hsieh Ying-Chun to champion the designer as a force of social change building more than 3.000 homes with local people in natural disaster zones in Taiwan and Mainland China.
External links
- Atelier 3 homepage
- Hsieh Ying Chun: Sustainable Construction in Community
- Architecture of the WEAK! Robin Peckham, Kunsthalle Kowloon, 2009
- Cicada edit. Nikita Wu, SZHK Biennale 2009
- WEAK! Architecture News Plus, 2010
- http://taiwanreview.nat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=59731&CtNode=1373 Knight-Errant of Homeless (2009.01)