“Green Buildings” in Yellow
hkviews, China Daily Hong Kong Edition (14 Jan, 2011)
BY PATRICK LAU SAU-SHING
We all noticed that the weather in Hong Kong is getting stranger in recent years. The
accumulated temperature increase in Hong Kong over the past 125 years is 1.5°C, and
one major source of green house gas emissions in Hong Kong is buildings. I think
encouraging the construction of green buildings is one of the best measures to counter
this worsening situation in Hong Kong. Interestingly, most people would associate green
buildings with “advanced technologies” and “new ideas” invented in the late-20th and early21st century, thus beyond their comprehension, but the truth is a far cry from this
misconception.
Recently, I co-organised and led a study trip with the Hong Kong Institute of Architects
to visit several “earthen houses” or “tulou” in Fujian Province and I was very impressed by
the architectural and cultural value that they hold. Mostly built between the 15th and 20th
centuries, tulou are described by the famous sinologist Joseph Needham in his
monumental project Science and Civilisation in China as "the most extraordinary type of
Chinese rural dwellings". With some 3 000 tulou still standing today, these national-class
cultural treasures left behind a legacy of such significance that Fujian tulou were
designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.
A tulou is usually a large (can accommodate up to 80 families), enclosed and fortified
earth building. For defence purposes, they have very thick load-bearing rammed earth
walls between three and five storeys high, built around a central open courtyard with only
one entrance. They are built along an inward-looking, circular or square floor plan, and
smaller interior buildings like ancestral halls, wells and storehouses are located in the
courtyard. In fact, the whole structure resembles a small fortified city. This is because the
need for protection from invading clans, bandits or feral animals was vital to the residents’
survival. They are built in a “closed outside, opened inside” fashion, where windows
facing outwards are installed on three storeys or above for security reasons. There are
gun holes on the top level and parts of the wall sections are deeper to prevent invaders
from digging tunnels into the tulou in the events of a siege. Furthermore, the main gates
are guarded by thick wooden doors reinforced with outer shells of iron plates.
On account of the limitations posed by the geography of southeast Fujian, there are
many difficulties associated with transporting conventional building materials to the
mountainous region, and tolou are constructed with materials gathered from the
immediate surroundings of the sites. The construction of tulou foundations involves
digging a trench in the ground and paving granite and pebble stones on top of rammed
earth ground in several tiers. Besides cut stone blocks and river cobbles, other materials
like bamboo and timber are also used to build the walls, which can be as thick as 1.8
metres. Additional reinforcements are laid using branches, strips of wood and bamboo
chips. In spite of the simplicity of the building technique, these walls are actually very
tough against weathering and they can withstand even earthquakes and cannon fires.
The unique architectural design provides a well-lit and well-ventilated building
environment that is warm in winter and cool in summer. The interior structure of a tulou
(e.g. floor planking, pillars, railing) is made of timber readily available from the local area,
usually Chinese pine. Communal areas like the kitchen are kept at the lower levels, whilst
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living quarters are located on the upper floors. These living quarters are further divided by
walls into private spaces for individual families, and they all radiate from the ancestral hall
in the middle of the open courtyard. They are also carefully arranged to ensure effective
use of spaces and redirection of natural energies. The ancestral hall standing in the
middle of the open courtyard is the place where communal activities like festivals,
meetings, weddings, funerals, ancestral worship would be conducted. It is interesting to
observe that all rooms were built the same size with identical exterior decoration, and
public spaces like halls, staircases, wells and alleys are evenly-distributed throughout the
building. This reflects the extent of social equality to which tulou residents enjoyed.
We have seen how ingenious and successful it was for the tulou dwellers to create
safe and comfortable homes. The use of local, readily-available materials and practical
architectural design in the construction of a building that is truly sustainable and
environment-friendly demonstrates that there is much that we should learn from our
ancestors. I wish more people will realise that in order to build a greener and more
sustainable world, what matters most is making use of our past experience and intellect to
develop solutions that can fit well within our cultural context.
A tulou in Yongding county, Fujian province. Some 3,000 of the ancient dwellings are still in
existence in the province. The structures known for their distinctive shape boast not only
architectural and cultural value but also are environmentally friendly
(Photograph courtesy of Mr Sherman YIP)
The author is a Member (Architectural, Surveying and Planning Functional Constituency)
of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR, an honorary professor of architecture at the
University of Hong Kong, a professional architect, and past Vice-Chairman of the Town
Planning Board.
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