Discovery, inheritance and innovation Incorporating traditional Chinese family values with residential design

This thesis attempts to solve the challenges caused by China's fast-paced development and subsequent urbanisation, which involve pollution, over-population, problems with transportation, high/unreasonable real estate prices, a poor-quality living environment, increases in the unemployment rate, and disruptions in the social and economic order. As an architect, I have used an economically developed city, Taipei City, as an example to alleviate those challenges. This approach attempts to use village living concept, with housing designs generally reflect Chinese traditions and ideologies, in order to address these challenges, and in a process that ultimately brings Chinese families back to the traditional way of living.;The process of finding substance for contemporary architectural proposition is achieved by using the gathered intelligence of ancient Chinese thinkers and philosophers and studying contemporary Chinese housing projects infused with Chinese traditional concepts, and analyzing their advantages and shortcomings.;Lessons are drawn from studying these projects. Instead of literally copying old traditional elements, as is often customary in residential projects, the spatial, architectural and cultural values are derived from traditional Chinese ideology, which can also serve for educational purposes in modern times, as they relate to retired people and certain working professionals in Taipei City.;Issues discussed in this project are categorized in the order of what, how and why: what are the issues and challenges China currently is facing, how those challenges provide opportunities as an architect, and why this plan is a preferred alternative to living in overcrowded cities.