Building Technology and Culture in the Asia-Pacific Region

This book compiles a curated selection of texts authored by architects and scholars hailing from Asia, Europe, and North America. Their research, often intertwined with practical applications, delves into the intricate relationship between material culture, technology, and architecture within the broader cultural and social milieu. Three keywords-construction, materials, encounters-serve as the organizing framework for the book, guiding readers through a diverse array of case studies and experiences where these elements intertwine seamlessly. Indeed, these terms are intricately interwoven, reflecting the inseparability of technology from culture.

Introduction - Bridging Technology and Culture in Architecture.- Patterns Redefinition in Beijing East Qianmen, Kengo Kuma Office in Damochang 220 Courtyard House.- Chinese Vaulted Avant-garde Architecture. Materials and Tectonics as Design Tools for the Pursuit of Monumentality.- All That Glitters Is Not Gold: Laurie Baker's Alchemy in Brick.- The Reciprocal Development of Craft and Industry in Twentieth-century Japan Through the Lens of Plywood as a Material.- Toyo Ito's Wood Architecture Reimagined: A Critique of Modernist Ideology.- Hyperboloid Structure, also Known as Reciprocal Tower, in Bamboo Architecture.- The Cross-border Spread and Modernization of Modern Treaty Ports Cities: The Jardine Matheson Warehouse of Tianjin.- The "Chinese Curved Roof" for a Christian University: Interactions Between Building Technology and Cultural Perception in the Case of the University of Nanking.- Digging Cultures of Production Using Design Practice: Transforming the Main Oxygen Factory Workshop in Shougang, Beijing.