PRESERVATION REUSE DESIGN IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT: HUTONG AREAS IN BEIJING

The preservation and conservation of historical architecture represents today an issue of some account. Especially in the academic and didactics context, it is necessary to develop subject intrinsic techniques and educational experiences, as well as meta-projects to work out possible solutions to such complexity. Among the continuing education (Formazione Permanente) proposals and extracurricular activities offered by the Politecnico di Milano to integrate and strengthen the university educational process, the didactic course Chinese Historical Cultural Heritage (CHCH) was s thought and designed for students from Architecture with a multidisciplinary professors team.

The research work is organized into three sections:
- The first section concerns the CHCH educational programming phase: the organization of the educational proposals and the choice of different didactic methods, on the basis of variable factors such as students number and the subject taught; particular attention is given to the concepts of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary, the relation they have to each other and their impact on the educational process.
- The second section describes the actual situation of Hutong Areas in Beijing. Over the past decade, rapid development has lead to a remarkable improvement in the quality of life for many citizens. At the same time, however, much of the historic urban fabric of the capital has been lost. Major roads now bisect ancient neighborhoods, whilst in many areas, recent redevelopment has wiped out the subtle architectural texture and spatial arrangement of the preceding centuries. The atmospheric Hutong lanes, the traditional residential homes, and the Si-He-Yuan courtyard houses - all are fast disappearing as the city races forwards into the 21st century. In recent years, the government has placed a number of Hutong lanes under protection, but what exactly this protection means is not clear. Many Beijing people are now concerned that, at the current rate, redevelopment will soon engulf and destroy the ancient courtyard houses forever.
- The third section defines a guide lines for preservation that can be decrease the conflict between the modernization of Beijing and the preservation of its Hutong cultural heritage.

Starting from the analysis of some case studies, presenting a research trip in China (with particular attention to historical and contemporary architecture in Beijing), the last part of the research work is focused on the definition of “best practice” for reuse design.