Ongoing — PEAR & MULBERRY

Hui House:

Unveiling Endangered Legacy

Hui House: Unveiling Endangered Legacy

a special limited-edition publication

This book depicts Hui-style architecture, the only Chinese architectural school that fuses southern lofted structures with northern courtyard layouts, a fading heritage, and a vital part of China's cultural tapestry.

Utilizing 3D slicing and acetate fiber printing, the "windows" of each page transform 2D views into a 3D Hui-style panorama, “unveiling” not only architectural details with spatial reference and proportionality, but also the research of Hui houses from the misty Huizhou region. It provides a tangible visual to advocate for preserving Hui-style residential architecture.

RESEARCH ABSTRACT

Hui-style architecture is a focal part of Hui cultural heritage, as it embodies both the tangible heritage of habitats and the intangible heritage of construction techniques. Based on architectural analysis, the Hui style is China's sole architectural tradition that merges southern loft structures with northern courtyards, a fading heritage verifying the integration between the Central Plains civilization and the ancient Yue culture, an essential part of the Chinese cultural fabric.

RESEARCH CHALLENGE

Research indicates that Hui studies, as one of only three prominent local scholarly traditions in China, face risks due to its inland geographical and historical contexts.

Field research also shows that Hui architecture as a crucial cultural heritage is fading: Neglect, poor maintenance, and auctions are causing Hui architectural groups to vanish from the misty Huangshan and collective memory. Also, its construction skills, the core intangible cultural heritage, are nearing extinction.

PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

Through Historic Building Information Modeling (HBIM), including 3D scanning, texture capturing for patterns of wood, stone, and brick carvings of authentic ancient Huizhou residences, depth-layered 2D images are sliced from digital models, and printed onto acetate fiber papers to enhance the visual depth and clarity, forming interactive "windows" with proportions of Hui-style buildings, allowing for a dynamic exploration of architectural details and spatial relationships.

Exhibition & Award Recognition

Hui House has won awards at several prestigious design competitions for its educational purpose to researchers and students majoring in cultural studies, architecture, archeology, art history, Hui studies, digital heritage, digital humanities, and East Asian studies.