In 2017, Insitu Project commenced working with the local community and Weifang Yuandu Volunteer Service Centre in Beihuanggu village in Shandong on communal space in the village. The collaboration explored ways of activating public space based on public events, festivals and local habits. Students from SZU joined the project to document the local architecture and life stories, the stone architecture building traditions and later developed designs linking the Children Activity Space together with the public space with the provision of public amenities in the village. The work was constructed with participation of local stone-masons in 2017.
XNX03 Xianniangxi Community Kitchen 2019
Xianniangxi community kitchen is participatory design and making project that arose from the need to relocate an existing social enterprise run community kitchen. Located in an unfinished concrete structure, the kitchen and dining area function as a community gathering space, giving character and memeorable spatial experience to the daily life of visitors and villagers. Using a material repurposing approach, villagers and participants collected waste materials to construct the external walls. Serving to both clean up the surrounding village and to enable participants to value found material. The project was made possible under a Poly U APSS Service Learning programme and involved both SZU and Poly U students.
As a second stage two groups from School of Design and SZU constructed devices and fittings for the space to provide special features for the community kitchen. These were made in classes taught by Kuo Jze Yi in both schools and transported and installed in the Community Kitchen.