On September 2, 2023, the Awarding and Exhibition Opening Ceremony of the “2023 Fair of Making” was held at a farm in Jinpoluo Village, Xiwengzhuang Town, Miyun District. The event was a collaboration between Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture (BUCEA) and the Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Miyun District. Focusing on the theme “Inside and Outside”, eight participating teams from seven universities in Beijing completed six design projects after spending one and a half months on design and five days on on-site construction.

The judging team toured the site and design works, listened carefully to the design concepts and achievements of the participating teams together with the villagers' representatives, and had in-depth exchanges with teachers and students to finalize the on-site scoring.

After deliberation by the panel of judges, the work “ONE-DAY GARDEN” from BUCEA was awarded the first prize at the “2023 Fair of Making”. The teams from the Central Academy of Fine Arts and North China University of Technology winning the second prize. The teams from Beijing University of Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, and Beijing Forestry University winning the third prize.

The award-winning works and teams under other categories were also announced. The Environmentally Friendly Award was presented to the team from BUCEA, the Best Craftsmanship Award was presented to the team from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the Villager-Favorite Award was presented to the team from Beijing Jiaotong University.

After the exhibition of 2023 Beijing Design Week, the 6 works will continue to serve as cultural tourism resources for Jinpoluo Village, and promote rural revitalization with design creativity.

Interpretation of the Theme "Inside and Outside"

The theme "Inside and Outside" of "2023 Fair of Making" is relatively abstract, but Cheng Yanchun, founding partner of CPLUS, who proposed it, has a concrete and open interpretation. He believes that the essence of architectural design is to build an invisible relationship, that is, the relationship among people, architecture and nature.

Different terroirs cultivate different architectural interfaces and interior-exterior relationships. Compared with traditional European architecture that pursues breakthroughs in the vertical direction, Asian architecture pays more attention to expansion in the horizontal direction, and the interior and exterior spaces are closely connected, just like the mutual restriction and coordinated symbiosis of yin and yang in traditional Chinese culture.

In addition,the "outside" has at least two levels. One is enclosed by buildings, such as courtyards and patios; the other is the faraway place as scenery. The nearby "outside" is artificial nature, which blends with architecture as an ambiguous existence, while the "outside" in the distance is close to the original nature. In traditional Chinese architecture, outdoor spaces such as courtyards are places where people can perceive nature, here the "outside" is often the spiritual center of the entire building and an important spatial connection point.

Cheng hopes that the participating teachers and students will focus on the relationship that exists inside and outside of architecture, utilizing new technologies, cross-disciplinary interactions, to create new possibilities for architecture, so that it can make better connections between people and environment. At the same time, further explore on how to set up new connections between the city located “inside” and the surrounding countryside located “outside”, through the intervention of design and art, in the context of complex social and natural environments.

Overview of the Works

1
ONE-DAY GARDEN (First Prize / Environmentally Friendly Award), Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture

ONE-DAY GARDEN, rises from where the sun rises and sets where it ends.

The pavilion is located on a hillside outside the farm. The hillside faces a field. The plinth is adjacent to the farmland and even embedded in it. We stood in the farmland and felt the nature growing wantonly, seeping into our skin little by little.

Everything happens naturally. A pavilion is also a bridge; born in the soil, floating on the grass. The simplest steel pipes indicate man's intervention in nature; transparent grilles and sunshades are spiritual media that belong to the soil and air. The pavilion points to the field, with cloaks that are day and night on its left and right shoulders. The east looks toward the rising sun, while the west waits for the sunset.

Inside the pavilion, the steel refined by people frames the spatial boundaries that belong to people. Outside the pavilion, the lush farmland sways in the day and night, penetrating the ground and seeping into this bridge in the field.

The installation was built on site by the team from BUCEA. The plan was continuously optimized during the building process, paying attention to the relationship among people, architecture and nature, and between structure and space, as well as different materials.

Instructors: Wang Tao, Sun Yanchen
Participating Team: Zhao Xuechen, Liu Hongjing, Sun Yinghe, Liu Xingyi, Cao Enpei, Xu Yahan, Chen Jinzheng, Chen Xin
Structural Consultant: Xia Dongdong
Construction Support: Zhang Lijie, Jia Xiangli, Zhu Yulin, Lou Jintang, Yang Dekui
Photographs: Chen Xiangfei

2
1844150 (Second Prize / Best Craftsmanship Award), Central Academy of Fine Arts

This project attempts to explore the relationship between traditional construction culture and contemporary construction techniques around "similarity and dissimilarity".

The work uses spruce timber elements with 45 square millimeters sections, totaling 1,844,150 mm in length. Among them, there are 61 rods of 5 meters, 176 rods of 4 meters, 108 rods of 2 meters, 75 rods of 0.5 meters, 329 rods of 0.3 meters and 183 rods of irregular length. These 932 wooden components are fixed with 3150 screws.

The work is situated in the north facing the south, with ginkgo trees and cornfields in the back. Through the broad vision on the east and west sides and the windows on the north side, the pavilion forms a counterpoint to the surrounding trees and the radio telescope group in the distance. It functions as a leisure facility in the village. Adults can sit inside and look out over the countryside for rest. Meanwhile, children can climb outside the building. It can also be turned into a stargazer's home at night for astronomy enthusiasts.

Instructors: Cao Liang, Fan Ershuo
Participating Team: Chen Longxin, Wang Haomin, Yang Fengze, Jiang Zhili, Li Yuxuan, Xie Haojun, He Yichen, Shi Jingyang
Structural Consultant: Xi Qi
Construction Support: Liu Zhiming, Wang Jiangwen
Photographs: Chen Xiangfei

3
Catching A Glimpse of the Mountain · Observing the Mind (Second Prize), North China University of Technology

This vernacular structure is located in Jinpoluo Village Farm, built with the purpose of exploring the relationship between inside and outside. The design vocabulary of rural slope roofs was extracted and summarized to form a slope roof structure. The trusses are arranged along the depth direction. The main structure is made of all wood, blending gently with the surrounding trees and the ground. Due to the finite volume, in order to exaggerate the perspective within the limited depth and give people the infinite feeling of space extension, the height of the trusses was adjusted stepwise, gradually rising from the middle to both sides, showing a certain orderliness.

In the treatment of the interior and exterior interfaces, three materials such as bamboo, sunlight panels, and hollow wooden frames are used to show the interior and exterior relationships such as solidity, blur, and emptiness, which not only define the boundaries between the inside and outside but also enrich the space. Tracing back to the essence of this structure - utilization, a series of functional spaces are set up in the structure, which can be used for villagers to rest and gather, and store farm tools; the open area is equipped with sketching tables and viewing window, etc., where one can see green mountains in the distance and flower fields nearby. And it echoes the existing popular swings, rainbow slides on site, and can serve as a new tourist spot, thereby helping to revitalize the countryside.

Instructors: Qian Yi, Wen Fang, Ma Xin
Participating Team: Gao Shijie, Fan Anuo, Wu Bangwei, Huang Qiuyi, Wang Manning, Jin Mengran, Zhang Yan
Structural Consultant: Xia Dongdong
Construction Support: Gu Fei, Li Wei
Photographs: Chen Xiangfei

4
In the Woods (Third Prize), Beijing University of Technology

The design starts from the relationship between inside and outside, and is inspired by traditional courtyard space, expressing the spatial and physical relationship of "inside-outside-inside". In terms of the building itself, the "inside" is composed of two blocks, and the "outside" is the courtyard within that. Since the walls in the block can be opened and closed, interspersed with transparent sunlight panels, or not completely enclosed, the open walls bring a certain sense of enclosure to the courtyard, thus the interior and exterior can transform.

At this point, the building is "inside" and the environment is "outside". The site is close to the entrance of the village, with a large flow of people; and the surrounding vegetation is rich in nature. This building, made of wood and transparent sunlight panels, is placed to complement the existing environment, providing a resting platform for passers-by. People can buy specialties, take photos, and rest here. The architectural space promotes and strengthens communication among people, buildings and nature.

Instructors: Hu Minshan, Liao Hanwen, Huang Peizheng, Zhao Tengfei
Participating Team: Xiao Yao, Zhu Jiaying, Wang Shiyi, Lian Hanting, Xu Yuxin, Fan Hua
Structural Consultant: Xia Dongdong
Construction Support: Lei Jianpo, Lv Junxue, Zhang Fugui, Jia Xiangli, Song Dejiang
Photographs: Chen Xiangfei

5
Golden Time (Third Prize / The Villager-Favorite Award), Beijing Jiaotong University

The Jinpoluo Village is famous for its millet production and has associated harvest festival. Therefore, the design uses the idea of barn as a starting point, hoping that the barn shape would echo the long harvest history. On the facade, through the stacking of small modules with barn elements, a fractal isomorphic artistic effect is achieved, becoming a charming part of the exterior public space in the quiet countryside.

Entering the structure, one can enjoy the four-season scenery of the orchard through the small module frame. Villagers and tourists can be sheltered in this solid architectural installation. It is hopeful that after the Beijing Design Week exhibition, this structure can stay in villagers’ collective life, and continue to contribute to Jinpoluo Village.

Instructors: Li Lei, Zeng Zhongzhong
Participating Team: Zhang Caili, Zhang Wanyu, Gao Shengqing, Xu Chunchi, Hu Shiyuan, Zhong Yulin, Ge Zheng, Liao Yushan
Structural Consultants: Wang Yi, Yang Zhong
Construction Support: Miao Jiuqin, Zhang Yaping
Photographs: Chen Xiangfei

6
Poluo·Look over the Field (Third Prize), Beijing Forestry University

It's often said: "People touring in the paintings." When experiencing nature, they seem to gradually become part of it.

In keeping with the theme of the competition, "Inside and Outside," the team's goal was to create a structure in the vast field of the village that would provide shade and allow people to rest underneath, while transparent enough to display the full range of natural light and views to visitors.

As a result, the team designed the work "Poluo·Look over the field", using five similar and staggered "viewing frames" to emphasize the swing and the most beautiful scenery around. Each sunlight panels on the top of the frame are wide enough to block the direct sunlight at noon, opening up the space and releasing all the best views, blurring the boundary between the structure and the scenery, striving to bring full view. This work "Poluo·Look over the field" eventually accomplished.

Instructors: Zheng Xiaodong, Zhai Yukun
Participating Team: Guan Zhiying, Luo Danyuxuan, Xu Shuhan, Meng Rui, Chen Niannian, Sun Rui, Pang Bo, Tang Yilin
Construction Support: Zhao Zhenlin, Wang Wenli
Photographs: Chen Xiangfei

Note: Unless otherwise stated, the pictures and videos in this article are provided by Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture.

Guiding Organizations: The Architectural Society of China, Beijing Design Week

Hosts: Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, the Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Miyun District
Organizers: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Jinpoluo Village of Xiwengzhuang Town, Miyun District, Beijing

Sponsors: Xiwengzhuang Town of Miyun District People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, Beijing Institute of Architecture Design, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center For Future Urban Design.

Special Support: Jinpoluo Team 11

Supporting Universities: Tsinghua University, Beijing Jiaotong University, North China University of Technology, Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Central Academy of Fine Arts (in order of school number)

Single Media Support: ArchiCreation
Media Partnership: Architectural Journal, Urban Environment Design, Contemporary Architecture, Architecture Technique, The Architect (in no particular order)

The Panel of Judges:
Hu Yue, National Engineering Survey and Design Master and a professor at BUCEA
Mu Jun, Executive Dean of the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at BUCEA
Cheng Xiaoxi, Associate Dean of the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University
Zheng Fang, Professor under the "Outstanding Hundred Talents Program.", Beijing Jiaotong University
Zhang Bo, Dean of the College of Architecture and Art, North China University of Technology
Chen Zhe, Professor of the Faculty of Architecture, Civil and Transportation Engineering, Beijing University of Technology
Yao Peng, Vice Dean, School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University
Wang Xiaohong, Vice Dean, School of Architecture, Central Academy of Fine Arts
Cheng Yanchun, Founding Partner of CPLUS.

Theme Proposer: Cheng Yanchun

Organizing Committee: Liu Ye, Gan Zhenkun, Li Luyang, Cheng Huizhen, Gu Yueming, Yang Zhen, Li Zhaojun, Zhou Jingsheng, Chen Yifan (Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture), Wang Yijiang, Yi Shuhua, Gao Shaowu, Liang Qing, Kong Deying, Zhang Lijie, Guo Xiaodong, Huang Chengyan, Feng Wenbo (Jinpoluo Village)

Volunteers:
Wang Yunqi, Sun Hongxuan, Tian Yuxin, Zheng Yuxin, Jiang Yi, Guo Yuqing, Jing Jiayang, Jia Qinxin, Zhang Congzhou, Kang Ziqi, Zheng Yu'ang, Wang Xinying, Yao Yiqian, Chi Keying, Liu Kexin, Song Jian, Zhong Jiaxin, Gong Yanting, Wang Yunshuo, Liang Xin, Hu Wanqi, Cai Yuhan, Nie Zhuoqun, Hou Xuemou, Zhang Zimo, Wang Qiuyan, Zhou Yuankun, Li Mei, Zhou Bodian, Wang Anji, Li Shiyu, Wang Yuyan, Yan Youchen, Ding Muyang, Lu Yuanyuan (in no particular order)