Infill housing in Nanjing : an alternative urban housing strategy

Abstract

Urban infill housing is generally regarded as an architectural approach to reinforce and revitalize existing fabric in central urban areas. It involves contextual considerations of the relationship at both architectural and urban scales. The central issue of contextual development is to retain the continuity and identity of an urban area. As such, it is much more than merely an architectural strategy. From the middle of the last century, the concept of infill housing has been accepted and practiced in many Western cities. However, in Nanjing, an oriental historical city in eastern China, the term 'infill housing' is not used by local professionals. Nevertheless, infill housing projects can still be found in local practice and urban renewal in Nanjing. This thesis intends to determine the meaning of infill housing in Nanjing and to assess its practical significance in local urban housing renewal. In addition, specific practical infill housing approaches are explored. The research was conducted in three parts: a review of the infill housing theories; comparative analyses and case studies of urban housing in Nanjing and selected Western cities; and practical infill housing proposals based on the detailed local investigations. In the first part the attention was paid to the description and assessment of the basic philosophy of urban infill and associated architectural approaches in the western world. In the second part the thesis includes a study of Nanjing's unique urban evolution and infill housing practice. In the third part practical infill housing approaches were explored in association with the local investigations in Nanjing, which included detailed survey, site analyses, and infill proposals. In this study, the author also presents a critique of local urban housing practices in Nanjing and high lights the importance of contextual issues in urban housing renewal through the study of urban infill. This alternative urban housing strategy is intended to be useful not only to scholars, but also to housing professionals and officials primarily in Nanjing, but also in other Chinese cities.