Two projects designed by the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University (THAD), a subsidiary of the Tsinghua Holdings Habitat Development Group Corporation, received 2019 ARCASIA Awards for Architecture at the award ceremony held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on November 5.

The 'Protective Shelter of Locality 1 Archaeological Site of Zhoukoudian Peking Man Cave' project and the 'Aranya-Idea Camp' project won the gold award and the mention award respectively.

The ARCASIA Awards for Architecture is the highest architecture design prize in Asia. The 2019 award categories include 10 sub-items in six categories, including residential projects, public amenity buildings, industrial buildings, conservation projects, socially-responsible architecture, and sustainable projects. A total of 33 projects won gold, honorable mention, and mention awards in the six categories.

Gold Winner: The Protective Shelter of Locality 1 Archaeological Site of Zhoukoudian Peking Man Cave

The Peking Man Cave is a deep-sunken area in the shape of a rectangle. It measures 35 meters on the west-east side, five to eight meters on the north-south side, and is 30 meters deep. The Cave is surrounded by a precipice which remained after a collapse, which bears the archaeological strata. The archaeological site covers an area of 1340 sq m, while the rock mass around the site covers an area of 1538 sq m.

This project aimed to provide the site with shelter from wind and water. Environmentally-friendly passive design methods were applied to reduce the levels of temperature and humidity. A semi-closed structure was adopted to maintain the natural condition of Peking Man Cave, and to act as a buffering space that protects it from the elements.

In accordance with the conservation principles of minimal interference and reversibility, a large-span steel structure of a single-layer reticulated shell was adopted to stretch across the whole Peking Man Cave. The two rows of its stress points are distributed on the top of the upland on the south, and at the foot of it on the north. This means that all are located on the flat rock outside the sensitive area - which was unsuitable for load-bearing - and kept way from the site per se, and the rock mass it is attached to. A minimal covered area was thus realized.

During the construction work, all the components were pre-fabricated off-site and assembled on-site, to minimize interference to the site. This approach also ensured the possibility of dismantling the structure - when necessary - to restore the original appearance of the site.

Mention winner: Aranya-Idea Camp

The Aranya-Idea Camp has been built for educational institutions to use during the holidays, creating a natural environment and a multi-activity space for children in the community. In the absence of camp activities, the ramps are open to the community or public events such as small performances and conference forums.

As a youth camp, the first floor is comprised of public space and classrooms, while the upper floor is a dormitory. A spiral ramp links the two courtyards inside and outside, creating multiple activity spaces both up and down.

The building was built for Qixing Education, a successful Chinese company that offers summer and winter school programs for children and young people. Their pedagogical approach is to take Chinese children, often products of the one-child policy, out to a temporary community of their own, and help them get close to nature while learning various skills in culture, craft, and socialization.

THAD’s other winning projects of the ARCASIA awards include Juer Hutong New Courtyard Housing in Beijing (Gold, 1993)，Office Building of the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University (Honorable Mention, 2002), Beijing Olympic Common Domain Tile Yard (2012),   Mt. Huashan Visitor Center (Honorable Mention, 2014), and Electric Power of the State Grid Corporation of China project at Caishikou, Beijing (Honorable Mention, 2017).

Juer Hutong New Courtyard Housing in Beijing (Gold, 1993)

Office Building of the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University (Honorable Mention, 2002)

Beijing Olympic Common Domain Tile Yard (2012)

Mt. Huashan Visitor Center (Honorable Mention, 2014)

Electric Power of the State Grid Corporation of China project at Caishikou, Beijing (Honorable Mention, 2017)