JUER HUTONG NEW COURTYARD HOUSING IN BEIJING A REVIEW FROM THE RESIDENTS' PERSPECTIVE

Set within the theoretical framework of cultural sustainability, this in-depth case study examines the Juer Hutong new courtyard housing prototype built in the inner city of Beijing, China, whose phase one was completed in 1990 and phase two in 1994. Juer Hutong (Chrysanthemum Lane) is located in the area of the celebrated Nanluogu Xiang (Gong and Drum Lane South), in proximity to the historic Drum and Bell Towers. It was a typically decayed traditional courtyard house neighborhood that urgently needed remodeling. After a decade of research and design led by Professor Wu Liangyong, and a group of students at the School of Architecture of Tsinghua/Qinghua University, phase one of the project has won six awards, including the 1992 World Habitat Award. However, its proposed phases three and four were suspended from construction. This study elucidates the residents' views of the completed two phases and offers four lessons and two new courtyard garden house design models for discussion and future practice.