Moonlight Huotang Llar De Foc Per A L'ètnia Dong by William Chen - Creative Prototyping Unit

Moonlight Huotang Llar De Foc Per A L'ètnia Dong by William Chen - Creative Prototyping Unit is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award de Bronze in Disseny de Patrimoni Cultural i Indústria Cultural Competition Category.

BronzePatrimoni Cultural· 2021

Moonlight Huotang Llar De Foc Per A L'ètnia Dong

by William Chen - Creative Prototyping Unit

Client: Creative Protyping Unit

A' Design Award de Bronze Winner in Patrimoni Cultural Category

15,580

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #116858

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Moonlight Huotang Llar De Foc Per A L'ètnia Dong

Com a primer projecte d'encàrrec de la sèrie Huotang per a l'ètnia Dong al comtat de Guangnan, Guangxi de la Xina, Moonlight Huotang és especialment per al grup de vilatans que duen a terme la cultura musical Pipa. La forma convexa única del sostre millora la sensació de reunió en resposta a un millor ambient acústic, mentre que la cambra d'entrada ofereix un espai multifunció com a vestidor, sala de preparació d'aliments i sala de confessió. Forma part d'una regeneració rural impulsada per la cultura que pretén reactivar l'economia d'una comarca les joves generacions del qual s'han traslladat a zones urbanes més grans.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Bronze

Moonlight Huotang Llar De Foc Per A L'ètnia Dong és un guanyador del guardó A' Design Award de Bronze, un reconeixement altament prestigiós concedit a dissenys sobresortints que es distingeixen per la creativitat, l'enginy i l'astúcia. Els guanyadors de Bronze són artefactes ampliament hàbils i sorprenentment creatius que autentiquen la vasta experiència, la imaginació i el recurs dels seus dissenyadors. Es preveu que Moonlight Huotang Llar De Foc Per A L'ètnia Dong sigui un objecte molt apreciat, admirat i estimat, notablement professional i innovador. Aquest disseny guanyador del guardó A' Design Award de Bronze incorpora les millors pràctiques de l'art, la ciència, el disseny i la tecnologia i és excel·lent per la seva atenció al detall. Moonlight Huotang Llar De Foc Per A L'ètnia Dong satisfà esplèndidament les necessitats, toca els desitjos, encisa els sentiments i crida la curiositat.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Moonlight Huotang is a fireplace for the Dong ethnicity located in Guangnan county, Guangxi province of China. It is the first commission project as part of the Huotang series and particularly for the group of villagers who carry on the Pipa music culture.  The unique convex shape of the ceiling enhances the sense of gathering in response to a better acoustic environment while the entry chamber provides a multifunction space as a changing room, food preparation room and confession room.
Dimensions & Packaging: main building in 5m diameter circular shape, plot size: 6m Width x 8m Depth
Tags: Community Centre, Cultural Regeneration, Fireplace, Huotang, Dong Ethnicity
Production Technology: Stone foundation, brick wall plus straw and clay plaster on the surface, CNC cut timber roof structure
Design Challenge: As a cultural regeneration project, the challenge was to enhance the local crafts such wood construction and straw weaving techniques while bringing a contemporary architectural understanding to the local community. To ensure its buildability by local craftsmen, wood construction was chosen aided by CNC fabrication to realise a unique geometry for the Huotang typology. Wall finishes and internal doors also utilise the straw weaving techniques to showcase the Dong culture. By doing so, the new Huotang seeks to ensure a contemporary relevance for the Dong culture.
Research: Dong ethnicity has been rooted in the remote rural mountain area and increasingly disconnected from the fast-moving cities. It is part of a rural culture regeneration project as an architectural acupuncture which intends to revive the economy of a county whose young generations have moved to larger urban areas. By building specific industrial structures and social projects in relation to the Dong culture and economy, it hopes to boom in the tourism industry for a better connection to the outside world.
Inspiration: The inspiration comes from local traditional timber construction house and craft techniques developed by the Dong ethnicity. The circular typology has been chosen due to the form of gathering around the fireplace as well as acting as a small theatre for performing traditional Pipa music instrument. This has been the form of their life for many generations.
Project Duration: Permanent, completion in June 2021
Operation Flow: The Huotang plays an important role in the daily life of the Dong community. As a forum, it is a gathering place of great social significance, and often the scene of diverse activities, including political discussions and debates, leisure and dinner. Deeply integrated into Dong’s lives, it is their second home. Moonlight Huotang proposal is for up to 25 people who can carry on the folk music culture to the next generations as well as a display of Dong culture for foreign tourists.
Team Members: Architect:William Hailiang Chen
Architectural Assistant: Shoujian Eng
Structural Engineer: XinY structural consultants
Acoustic Consultant: Zhu Heng