Sheff Lecture presented by Joe Carter at McGill University, School of Architecture, on November 24, 2014. Most of the presentation concerns Joe's almost thirty years of experience as an architect in China. It also includes some of his Canadian experience before going to China, in Montreal and Newfoundland.

1. 大家好！

2. Building Cities:
Perspectives
from China
My talk is more experiential
than academic; from the point of
view of a practicing architect.
I designed close to 6 million m2
of buildings, and about 600,000
m2 were built . (1 in 10)
.
“Those with manual skill without
scholarship have never been able to
reach a position of authority to
correspond to their pains, while
those who relied only upon theories
and scholarship were obviously
hunting the shadow, not the
substance. But those who have a
through knowledge of both, like men
armed at all points, have sooner
attained their object and carried
authority with them.”
Vitruvius

3. Building Cities: Perspectives from China
1. China’s Rapid Urbanization Begins; Challenges for Architects
2. Examples of My Work in China
3. From Canada to China
A Concluding Thought

4. Building Cities: Perspectives from China
1. China’s Rapid Urbanization Begins; Challenges for Architects
2. Examples of My Work in China
3. From Canada to China
A Concluding Thought

5. Beijing Population: 1950 - 2025

6. Beijing 1960: Built-up Area 70 km2

7. Beijing 1990: Built-up Area1100 km2

8. http://countrymeters.info/en/China
Physical change not as great as social change
Montreal: 1000 people/km2 of built-up area Beijing: 5000 people/km2 of built-up area
Beijing 2010: Built-up Area 2400 km2

9. Liang Si Cheng
China’s Rapid Urbanization: Challenges for Architects and Planners
Blessing and a burden

10. What is Chinese and Modern?

11. A vertically-Stretched Pavilion

12. Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium, Beijing

13. Paul Andreau, National Grand Theater of China, Beijing

14. Rem Koolhaas, CCTV Tower Beijing

15. Li Xiao Dong

16. Li Xiao Dong, Liyuan Library, Jiao Jie He Village, Huai Rou, Beijing, 2012

17. Li Xiao Dong, Liyuan Library, Jiao Jie He Village, Huai Rou, Beijing, 2012

18. Wang Shu, Pritzker Architecture Prize, 2012

19. Wang Shu, Hangzhou Art Academy, Hangzhou

20. Wang Shu, Ningbo History Museum

21. Wang Shu, Hangzhou Art Academy, Hangzhou

22. In 2006, Ma Qing Yun became the Dean of the University of
Southern California, School of Architecture

23. Zhang Yong He: Dean of the MIT School of Architecture, 2005-2010

24. MAD Architects Ma Yansong

25. Ma Yuan Song, Marylin Munro Towers, Toronto

26. Building Cities: Perspectives from China
1. China’s Rapid Urbanization Begins; Challenges for Architects
2. Examples of My Work in China
3. From Canada to China
A Concluding Thought

27. www.townsnet.cn
Beijing office of a Chicago
design firm 1999-2005
My own firm
2006 to the present
3 built & 3 not yet built projects
Chinese architectural offices: 1989-1996

28. Qingdao Office Building, 1991

29. Shandong, Yantai, Cai Yun Cheng 1991

30. Shandong, Yantai, Cai Yun Cheng 1991

31. Shandong, Qingdao, Fushan Bay Planning 1992
3 km long

32. Shandong, Qingdao, Fushan Bay Planning 1992

33. Beijing’s First Social Housing Project
Beijing, Nan Xin Yuan Residential District 1993

34. Construction Area: 222,000 sq.m. Plot Ratio: 2.16
Population Density: 777 people/hectare
Beijing’s First Social Housing Project
Beijing, Nan Xin Yuan Residential District 1993

35. Beijing, Nan Xin Yuan Residential District 1993

36. Construction Area: 222,000 sq.m. Plot Ratio: 2.16
Population Density: 777 people/hectare
Beijing, Nan Xin Yuan Residential District 1993

37. Ningbo, Beilun Free Trade Zone, 2002

38. Water Courtyard in Nan Xi Jiang, Zhejiang Province
Ningbo, Beilun Free Trade Zone, 2002

39. Ningbo, Beilun Free Trade Zone, 2002

40. Ningbo Beilun Free Trade Zone Tower Design 2002

41. Ningbo, Beilun Free Trade Zone, 2002

42. Central Academy of Drama (33 hectare site)

43. Contract Signing Ceremony Zhu Xiao Di (BIAD) and Dean Xu (Central Academy of Drama

44. Contract Signing Ceremony

45. Contract Signing Ceremony

46. Cooperation with Beijing Institute of Architectural Design, 3RD Department

47. Cooperation with Beijing Institute of Architectural Design, 2ND Department

48. Beijing Normal University

49. Project Brief
Performing Arts/Stage Arts Campus
List of room areas for each building
140,000 m2 Total Building Area
18 m. height limit
No Chinese references
Simple, square forms
Modest cost
Logical zoning
Planning Concepts
Generate Context by making a “town”:
• Use buildings to make space
Streets & Squares
Courtyards open & closed
Conversations between buildings
• Dining & Library; heart at center
• Formal axis at entrance only
• Autonomous departments
Central Academy of Drama (20 hectare site)

50. Site Planning

51. Conversations

52. Design Process Began with Sketches

59. Construction
Dining (left) and Library (right)

63. Dining Hall:
East and West-facing Façade Design

64. Dining

67. Dormitory and Dining
Holes

68. Student Dormitory:
Use five dormitories to make block.

78. Central Academy of Drama (20 hectare site)
Theater
Design

79. 中国- 加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚绿色建筑交流会
China Canada British Columbia
Green Building Exchange
May 2008

80. Montreal 1973

81. 800 Seat
Theaters

82. 800 Seat
Theaters
263 Seat

84. Xing Fu Cun Mixed Use Development
120,000 m2, 2002
Beijing, China

85. Xing Fu San Cun Concept Study

86. Xing Fu San Cun Mixed Use Development

87. Xing Fu San Cun Mixed Use Development

88. Xing Fu San Cun Mixed Use Development

89. Xing Fu San Cun Mixed Use Development

90. Xing Fu San Cun Mixed Use Development

91. Xing Fu San Cun Mixed Use Development: Layered Space

92. Xing Fu San Cun Mixed Use Development

99. Tianjin International Tennis Center,
West District of Tuanbo New Town, Jinghai County,
60,000 m2 venue for the 6th East Asian Games. Completed in 2012
Collaboration with KDG Architects, Shanghai
Tianjin International Tennis Center
2007
Shanghai, China

100. Qiu Kang, Head of KDG
2007 (left)
1987 (right)

101. Tianjin International Tennis Center

102. Tianjin International Tennis Center

103. Tianjin International Tennis Center

104. Tianjin International Tennis Center

105. Tianjin International Tennis Center

106. Tianjin International Tennis Center

107. Tianjin International Tennis Center

108. Tianjin International Tennis Center

109. Fangshan Mountain Resort

110. Fangshan Mountain Resort

111. Fangshan Mountain Resort

112. Fangshan Mountain Resort

113. Fangshan Mountain Resort

114. Fangshan Mountain Resort

115. Fangshan Mountain Resort

116. Mi Yun Village Hotel

117. Mi Yun Village Hotel

118. Mi Yun Village Hotel

119. Mi Yun Village Hotel

120. Mi Yun Village Hotel

121. 道观的空间序列
入口 – 道园 – 主殿 –
银杏台 – 壁画/藏经楼–
道长寝宿/会客
Daoist Temple at the Great Wall

122. Daoist Temple at the Great Wall

123. Daoist Temple at the Great Wall

124. Daoist Temple at the Great Wall

125. Daoist Temple at the Great Wall

126. Daoist Temple at the Great Wall

127. Daoist Temple at the Great Wall

128. Building Cities: Perspectives from China
1. China’s Rapid Urbanization Begins; Challenges for Architects
2. Examples of My Work in China
3. From Canada to China
A Concluding Thought

129. Musical Bricks, Montreal 1966

130. Mattawa, Oil Pastel Painting, 1970

132. The world was one, and we had to be anxiously concerned about
its needs. We had to build a new kind of world, one that was just,
one that transcended nationalism, sexism, racism and any kind of
religious intolerance. Cultural diversity was important. Our survival
included searching for synergetic relationships and preserving the
cultural gene pool.
Expo 67

134. Back to school, thanks to Maureen Anderson
Understanding of architecture as part of larger enterprise of city building
both inner and outer.
A Humane “Inner” City A Humane “Outer”
City

138. Adventure Playground, Pointe St. Charles

139. Neighbourhood Relations, Pointe St. Charles

140. Community Gardens, Pointe St. Charles

141. • Renovate Old St. John’s House, 1976
• Lino-Cuts of Local Life, 1979
• Harbour Symphony, 1983

142. Renovate Old St. John’s House

143. Renovate Old St. John’s House

145. Renovate Old St. John’s House

146. Renovate Old St. John’s House

151. Harbour Symphony, 1983

152. St. John’s, Newfoundland, 1865

156. Harbour: Stage
St. John’s, Newfoundland, as a Natural Amphitheater
Sloping Town:
Audience Seating
Southside Hills:
Backdrop

157. Hear a sound sample at:
http://www.townsnet.cn/artWriting/harbourSymphony/hsShortSelection80.mp3
Sample Sheet Music for Ship’s Horn, Harbour Symphony, 1983-2003

160. Tianjin University Campus, 1985

161. Tianjin University Professors, May,1985

162. China, Confucius Temple, Qu Fu, Shandong Province, 1985

163. China Sketches, 1985

164. 中国印象—速写
China Sketches, 1985

165. China, Confucius Temple, Qu Fu, Shandong Province, 1985

169. Tianjin Water Park
Dawn Breeze Pavilion
1985
天津水上公园

170. With Tianjin School of Architecture Teachers

172. Student Work 1986 -7

173. Beijing Railway Station, May 20,1985

175. 北戴河旅游酒店

179. Zhong Jing Architects and Engineers
1989-1993, Beijing, China

180. Five Colours Earth
Miao and Dong Embroidery

181. MMiaioa oa nadn dD Donogn gE Emmbrboriodiedreyry

182. MFiaivoe aCnodl oDuorsn gE aErmthb Froaisdheiroyn

183. MFiaivoe aCnodl oDuorsn gE aErmthb Froaisdheiroyn

184. MFiaivoe aCnodl oDuorsn gE aErmthb Froaisdheiroyn

185. MFiaivoe aCnodl oDuorsn gE aErmthb Froaisdheiroyn

186. Building Cities: Perspectives from China
1. China’s Rapid Urbanization Begins; Challenges for Architects
2. Examples of My Work in China
3. From Canada to China
A Concluding Thought
Why are we building cities? What is China’s role?
Cities are the infrastructure and nodes of an emerging global community.

187. "The Age of Nations is past.
The task before us now,
if we would not perish,
is to build the Earth.”
T. de Chardin
The Great Unity,
All Under Heaven is One Family (China)
Maturation of Humanity (Baha’i)
All-inclusive Family (Toynbee)
Omega Point (de Chardin)
Grand Synthesis (Lazlo)
Majestic House (Du Fu)
Global Village (McLuhan)
New World Order
India
Africa
China
Jewish / Christian / Western
Indigenous North America
Islam
A Shared Dream
A Common History
A Common Heritage
A Common Home
A Common Future Evolution
has a purpose
"Heaven is my father
and earth is my mother..
all people are my brothers and
sisters, and all things are my
companions...“
Zhang Zai (1020-77)
McGill Poet, Frank Scott
“The world is my country
The human race is my race”
Map of Human Maturation

189. The construction of the inner and outer city is a necessary part of the
construction of the Great Unity. Cities are nodes of the global village.
Urbanization Wave: West/China/India/Africa. China has much to offer,
not just city-building experience.

192. World Community
Globalization
Empire/Nation
City/City-State
Tribe
Family
The Evolution of Social and Political Order
Greater and greater release of human capacity

193. Humanity’s Collective Maturation Process
(process comparable to the maturation of the individual)
专制型放纵型
Summary (2 of 2)
Humanity’s collective maturation can be compared to the maturation of the individual.

194. China was the leader of
our collective
development until about
AD1300.

195. Development continued
with Islam, from about 600
to 1500, building a
civilization, a knowledge
bridge, that stretched from
Fuzhou to Seville. The
fruits of the Chinese,
Hindu, Jewish, and Greek
worlds – and everything in
between – was absorbed
and shared across all that
same territory.

196. Islam’s turn to lead exactly
corresponded with the
Dark Ages of the West.
Islamic civilization caused
the Renaissance in
Europe. The west has led
us into the 20th century.
Its materialistic consumer
paradigm currently
dominates the globalization
process.

197. The world is challenged to
build a civilization that is
both materially and
spiritually advanced, and
that draws on our collective
heritage.

198. Learning from the Discourse
on Social and Economic Development
“Outer” City “Inner” City
Architects grow in Discourse “A”
but the inclusiveness habit spreads the search, and
Discourse “A” begins to merge with Discourse “B”.
Some Criteria for the Sustainable “Outer City”
• Mixed-use
• Rich street life based on pedestrians and public transportation
• New green city infrastructure for water and waste
• A net zero energy and water community
• Agriculture imbedded into the community
Some Criteria for the Sustainable “Inner City”
• On-going Capacity Building
• Individuals who are constructive, responsible protagonists
• Communities that are originators and encouragers,
that work together with a common purpose
• Institutions that provide for meaningful participation

199. Writing
BOOK
Some Thoughts on China and the New World Order
China Worker’s Publication Company, Beijing, China, 2009 http://
ebook.newlightbook.com/book_show.asp?id=139 (Downloading is a little slow. Patience!)
ARTICLES
The Maturation of Cities
http://www.townsnet.cn/artWriting/writing/papers/theCity/theCity.htm
Contemporary Chinese Architectural and Planning Practice: Aspirations and Challenges
Prepared for the International Research Workshop: A Cross-Cultural Transfer of Building Environmental Information,
March 14-16, 2002, at the Liu Center for the Study of Global Issues, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
The conference paper was published, July 2003, as a chapter in
Buildings, Culture and Environment: Informing Local & Global Practices, edited by Raymond J Cole and Richard Lorch.
http://www.townsnet.cn/artWriting/writing/papers/chinasArchitectsAndPlanners/chinasArchitectsAndPlanners.htm
The Great Unity and China’s Development Path
http://www.slideshare.net/qiaokate/the-great-unity-da-tong-draft-2014-01-02bilingual
POWER POINT PRESENTATIONS
1. China's Sacred Literature (English)
http://www.slideshare.net/qiaokate/resonance-20131214-en-29594114
2a. China's Development Pattern as Found in its Sacred Literature (English)
http://www.slideshare.net/qiaokate/chinas-development-pattern-as-found-in-its-sacred-literatureda-tong-conf-20130620-en
2b. China's Development Pattern as Found in its Sacred Literature (Chinese)
http://www.slideshare.net/qiaokate/21-29593948
3a. The Great Harmony (English)
http://www.slideshare.net/qiaokate/the-great-harmony
3b. The Great Harmony (Chinese)
http://www.slideshare.net/qiaokate/the-great-harmony-chinese
4a. China's Resources and Potentialities (English)
http://www.slideshare.net/qiaokate/china-r-p-en-201001231
4b. China's Resources and Potentialities (Chinese)
http://www.slideshare.net/qiaokate/china-resources-and-potentialities-chinese
5. A Selection of Contemporary Design by Younger Mainland Chinese Architects, 2014
http://www.slideshare.net/qiaokate/chinas-younger-architects-2014

200. 大家好！
Big Family Good!

201. 谢谢! Thank you!