ABSTRACT
Hsieh Ying Chun, founder of Atelier 3, moved his studio to rural Taiwan in the wake of the devastating earthquake of 1999. Since this time, his studio has been involved in the reconstruction of housing and communities in disaster zones, such as in projects with victims of the South-East Asian Tsunami. In 2004, Hsieh Ying Chun set up Rural Architecture Studio, which carries out similar work in rural China, including work on the reconstruction effort following the Sichuan earthquake. Atelier 3 proposed an architecture that was long-lasting, ecologically sound, culturally sensitive and could be built at a fraction of the cost, typically 25-50 per cent below the standard. The interviews and supporting essays show built environment professionals collaborating with post-disaster communities as facilitators, collaborators and negotiators of land, space and shelter, rather than as 'save the world' modernists, as often portrayed in the design media.
