Rural Urban Framework

An urban researcher, academic and architectural designer. He is currently an Assistant Professor at The University of Hong Kong. His current research focuses on the complex urban-rural ecology of cities in China. This is explored through exhibitions, writing and the design and construction of buildings. The work has been exhibited as Rural Urban Ecology at the Chengdu Biennale 2011 and at the Venice Biennale 2010. The building projects have been published in Vitamin Green, (Phaidon 2012) and Moderators of Change (Hatje Cantz, 2011). His urban strategy for the Hong Kong’s border zone with Peter Hasdell has been exhibited at the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Biennale 2011 and at the Venice Biennale 2008 and has been published internationally receiving consecutive Best Paper Awards at the International Forum on Urbanism in 2009 and in 2011. He has curated, designed and contributed to several other international exhibitions including HK-SZ Biennale 2007-08, Get it Louder, 2007; Airspace: What Skyline does London want 2006; and Can Buildings Curate 2005. Between 2003 and 2005, he was a local curator for the Manchester-Liverpool section of Shrinking Cities international research project. He has collaborated with Raoul Bunschoten, Chora, researching urban strategies for complex sites such as the London Thames Gateway and the Taiwan Strait and has worked with Diller + Scofidio in New York. Joshua has previously taught architecture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, London Metropolitan University, Cambridge University and the Architectural Association. He was educated at Cambridge University and at the Bartlett School of Architecture.

An architect based in Hong Kong and currently an Assistant Professor at The University of Hong Kong. He was born in Taiwan and immigrated to the US. After studying in both the Art and Engineering programs at The Cooper Union in New York City, he received a professional degree in Architecture in 2002. His current research investigates the process of rural urbanization in China with a focus on the sustainable development of Chinese villages. His current projects include the design of several school buildings, a village community center, a hospital and a sustainable house prototype in China. Located in rural areas of Shaanxi, Jiangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hunan and Guangdong provinces these projects integrate local and traditional construction practices with contemporary sustainable technologies. The projects coordinate between Chinese and Hong Kong universities, education bureaus, ministries of construction, local governments and charity organizations. He is the recipient of numerous international awards including most recently the overall winner of the Architectural Review’s House Award in 2012 for his “House For All Seasons” a rural house prototype built in Shaanxi Province China. He has also received two highly commended Awards for Emerging Architecture in 2009 and 2010 and Merit Awards in Green Building Awards 2012 and Design For Asia Award 2011. His research and work has been published widely and exhibited in various places including the Architecture Park (Kolonihaven) at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Copenhagen 2004, the Hong Kong & Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism 2007 and 2009, the Beijing Architecture Biennale 2008 and at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2008 and 2010. He has taught previously at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is the 2010 recipient of the Outstanding Teaching Award at The University of Hong Kong.