Newsletter No. 255

Educatio n for All Weather s Edward Ng' s Building Project s for China's Youn g I t i s often sai d that i n China , th e humbl e peasantry i s th e hotbe d o f vision . Bu t while childre n o f the peasantr y ma y gro w up i n condition s mor e conduciv e t o th e development o f creativity , studyin g ofte n necessitates a constan t struggl e against th e force s o f nature . Du e t o poverty an d the locatio n o f villages , this i s a daily realit y for man y schoo l children unti l the y graduate , i f the y do i t all . T o improv e schoolin g conditions fo r China' s cradl e o f talent, Professo r Edwar d N g o f th e Department o f Architectur e o f th e Chinese Un i v e r s i t y ha s bee n travelling t o remot e corner s o f Gansu. An Exemplary Eco-School E d w a r d N g , a n e x p e r t a t conceptualizing bette r naturall y li t and ventilate d building s i n hig h density urba n area s suc h a s Hon g Kong, turns hi s focus to a village i n Gans u province. Jointl y wit h hi s partner s a t Xia n Jiaotong University , N g ha s designed a n environment- an d ecology-friendly schoo l for the village that will serv e as a prototype for th e nex t generatio n o f school s i n th e region. A schoo l buil t recentl y i n the area i s a three-storey concret e affai r reminiscen t o f schools i n Hon g Kong . It s us e o f bi g w i n d ows, cemen t an d stee l bar s i s probably a reflection o f the preferenc e o f its donor who ha d wanted to see a modern- looking schoo l i n Gansu . However the region's severe weather condition s have meant tha t classroo m temperatures hove r a r o u nd -2°C i n winter an d 30°C i n summer. A V i s i t i n g professor a t Xia n Jiaotong University , N g notice d th e school's dir e lac k o f suitabilit y durin g hi s research. H e approache d th e loca l government an d propose d t o buil d a n experimental ecologica l school . High Science, Low Technology The desig n o f Ng' s schoo l combine s indigenous b u i l d i n g material s w i t h advanced technology . Car e i s take n t o ensure tha t thermal mas s i s high. I n plac e of cement, loes s is used. For centuries, this viscous materia l ha s bee n use d t o buil d cave dwelling s i n th e Loes s Highlands . Windows ar e smal l an d hig h t o improv e heat conservatio n an d distributio n o f natural light . Ceilings , too , ar e hig h t o increase ventilation . An d sola r panel s o n the roofto p hel p war m an d improv e ai r circulation i n classrooms . The projec t witnessed th e applicatio n for th e firs t tim e o f certai n moder n principles o f buildin g desig n i n th e Loes s Highlands. Thi s marriage o f the traditiona l and the moder n ha s been a happy on e s o far. Simulatio n result s sho w tha t indoo r temperature o f the classrooms fall betwee n 16 to 22° C al l yea r round . The Human Element Cooling pipe s an d sola r panel s ar e no t al l the story . Guidin g Edwar d Ng' s creativ e genius i s th e ide a o f 'technics ' whic h 'involves sensibilit y an d a n appreciatio n of th e qua l i t y an d quan t i t y o f th e environment, buildin g dynamics , gravity , p r oduc t i on an d process , and , mos t importantly, th e huma n perceptua l an d experiential response s and needs' . Space s are linke d togethe r wit h th e surroundin g landscape t o provid e a n environmen t conducive t o learning . And no t onl y di d N g hav e t o pu t himself i n th e shoe s o f a child durin g th e yearlong desig n process . Althoug h th e school i s mean t t o demonstrat e goo d design principle s t o the loca l government , there wa s th e naggin g worr y tha t certai n novelty-embracing villager s migh t no t fully appreciate it s design . Ho w coul d on e convince the m tha t a school mad e fro m cheap loca l material s i s in fact newe r and bette r than one that look s Hon g Kong'? Amon g othe r tactics , N g exaggerated th e roo f o f the buildin g and lengthene d th e chimney s t o magnify thei r d i f f e r enc e f r o m traditional cav e dwellings . The first phase of the project , t o be completed i n Septembe r 2005 , i s funded b y the Kadoori e Farm Charit y Trust i n Hon g Kon g and involve s th e b u i l d i ng o r r e b u i l d i n g o f si x classrooms an d dormitories . Mor e classrooms an d othe r facilitie s wil l be constructe d i n th e secon d phas e and th e las t phas e wil l entai l th e building o f a villag e communit y centre an d a schoo l hall . Whe n completed, th e schoo l wil l provid e accommodation fo r 400 student s and form a basis for furthe r research . School Is a Bridge Too Far The poo r villag e o f Maos i i n Gans u province i s sharpl y spli t int o tw o b y th e Po River . Hundred s o f childre n ris k thei r lives daily for education a s the only mean s of connectio n betwee n hom e an d schoo l is a fragile wood-plank bridge . Durin g th e flooding season , crossin g i s especiall y dangerous. Thos e mudd y water s hav e been claimin g severa l live s a year. Edward N g cam e acros s the plight of the Maosi villager s in 200 2 whil e on-sit e fo r th e e c o - s c hool p r o j e c t . Thi s evolved int o a charity projec t entitled ' A Bridg e Too Far' . Le d by N g and architects , engineer s an d student s of CUHK, PolyU , HKUST , Xian Jiaotong University, an d industry , th e projec t aim s at buildin g a safe an d sustainabl e bridg e for th e villagers . Si r Davi d Aker s Jones , former chie f secretar y and acting governo r of Hon g Kong , i s patron o f the team . Designed to Weather It All The team interviewe d th e potentia l user s and surveye d th e sit e i n 2004 . Desig n o f the bridge began not long after. The current design i s a 90-metre-bridge consistin g o f 20 section s whic h span s acros s th e rive r with stee l tubes . It s foundation s ar e PVC - coated stee l gabion s measurin g 1. 5 m each. A s rock s ar e almos t inexisten t i n Gansu, th e gabion s ar e filled wit h rubbl e and othe r recycle d concret e an d bricks . These wil l provid e th e tonnag e require d to weig h th e gabion s dow n firml y o n th e riverbed. The walking plank s will b e made from galvanize d stee l and the handrai l wil l be mad e o f rope . Th e bridg e w i l l b e stepped t o preven t it s us e for transportin g heavy loads . The bridg e so designed will b e cheap, low-tech an d easil y maintainabl e b y th e villagers. I t i s safely crossabl e 9 9 pe r cen t of the year . Fo r a few day s eac h year , th e high flood s wil l com e an d the bridg e wil l go unde r wate r bu t i t will survive . Thi s i s a bi g improvemen t fro m no w whe n th e river i s uncrossabl e a few month s o f th e year. The team ha s received an anonymou s donation o f HK$ 1 mi l l i on . The y ar e recruiting 3 0 volunteers t o spen d 1 2 day s in Maos i thi s Jun e t o hel p ou t w i t h construction. The y w i l l als o stag e a n exhibition i n Hong Kong entitled ' A Drea m Comes True' . (Detail s o f A Drea m Come s True i s available a t www.bridge2far.info. ) Certain detail s o f th e bridg e desig n remain t o b e irone d ou t suc h a s ho w t o solve th e proble m o f tree s becomin g entangled i n th e handrai l durin g floods . Besides, a s Ng says , To mak e a bridge o r b u i l d i n g e n e r g y e f f i c i e n t a n d technologically soun d i s no t difficult . T o make i t beautifu l an d poeti c at the sam e time i s a lifetime pursuit. ' On e can be sure that h e will b e making man y mor e trips t o Gansu. Piera Chen Exterior view of the classroom 3 No. 255 4th March 2005