Embrace the Past, Enrich your Future!

The aroma 🔨🌳 of freshly cut wood fills the air, and a sense of reverence and purpose permeates the room. With each wooden piece painstakingly assembled, students contribute to a story — a story of resilience, traditions, innovation, and… our restless and yes, often-covered-in-sawdust 😊, Prof. ZHANG Yuyu.   

ZHANG Yuyu, an associate professor at the College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University, has developed a unique approach to teaching the History of Chinese Architecture to sophomore Architecture students. Her class goes beyond the traditional confines of an Architecture History course. It seamlessly combines theoretical knowledge with practical, hands-on experience, immersing students in the intricacies of ancient construction methods through the creation of scaled-down models of Chinese traditional wooden pavilions.

With each chisel mark and measured cut, students’ curiosity noticeably blossoms, thus paying homage to the craftsmanship of skilled ancestors. In the class, students are faced with the challenge of putting their own skills and talents to the test, while discovering the significance of supporting and encouraging one another along the path. 💪🏛️  

🏯 Besides, Even as modern architects, understanding and reclaiming our own heritage in Chinese wooden architecture can greatly enrich our practice. It is crucial to honour our identity, treasure our memories, and even potentially find inspiration for our future designs, explains Prof. ZHANG.   

🌟 In the culmination of multiple-week hard work, several dozens of wooden models of the Ancient Chinese pavilion stand proudly. With varying degrees of success (practice is the key 😊), students have learned and showcased their models’ intricate details - a testament to the culture, heritage, and the power of knowledge passed down through generations.   

🎬 We encourage you to watch the video and for a couple of minutes step into our 2nd-year architecture students’ shoes thus joining the journey of exploration and growth, as they unlock the “know-how” of the past and carve a path toward the future of architectural design. 🌌  

🏛️ Embrace the Past, Enrich your Future! 🚀