All 18 classrooms of a former village school have been converted into 22 hotel-style guest bedrooms. The secondary wing of the complex is now home to a cafe， several dining rooms and a rooftop canteen， while its previous playground gave way to a swimming pool.
　　Located in Ningbo， Zhejiang Province， the newly finished hotel has become a tourist attraction and its host village of Qinyong is now a prime example of how architecture could provide a concrete answer to rural vitalization.
　　“The school replaced the traditional ancestral hall and became the center of public life in Qinyong， as well as an important carrier of the village’s collective memory，” Liu Kenan， co-founder of Atelier XUK， an architecture studio based in Shanghai， and design instructor at Shanghai’s Tongji University， told Beijing Review.
　　Liu is recognized as an important voice in the new generation of architects. Many of his scenariobased designs focus on creating a new balance between society， the urban landscape and the natural environment.
　　In each room of the hotel， a section of the original floor was retained and turned into a sunken stone garden， framed by a metal railing. The design aims to create the impression of being in an archaeological site， where visitors can take in the original dimensions of the room and its history.
　　“We restored the old houses and modernized their functions. And all the while I was thinking about how to make the houses more dynamic，” Liu said. “For me， born in the 1980s， and also for local residents， there is a growing sense of responsibility to preserve the landscape and promote its cultural merits， a kind of nostalgia deep in our soul.”

Connecting the past

　　With modernity and globalization， the concept of harmony between city and village has deeply influenced Chinese architecture. Consequently， Qinyong straddles the past and the future， as it proudly maintains its historical roots while adapting to and embracing modernization.
　　According to Liu， comfortable architecture should be not only connected with the history， but also aligned with its environment. This kind of architectural conception has been shared by many more young Chinese architects. Zhuang Ziyu is one of them.
　　Imagine working in one of Beijing’s traditional courtyard houses， known as a siheyuan， with views of the centuries-old Bell and Drum towers. For Zhuang， this traditional and modern office environment is not a dream； it’s a daily reality. 　　Zhuang’s newly renovated office finds itself at No.7 Dongjiaogan Hutong in Xicheng District， right on the central axis that divides the city into east and west. The project， rolled out in the shadows of the ancient buildings， means to turn a traditional siheyuan into a new office space by creating a timeless interior feel while embracing the surrounding cultural context of the yard.
　　“We never planned to rebuild the space exactly as people would remember it. We intended to create a reflection of the past that would remind people of their typical Beijing childhood experiences， such as walking across the rooftops and chasing pigeons，” Zhuang said at the opening event of the 2021 Swiss Architecture Month on July 16. “What is more exciting， however， is just how futuristic the space feels after the reorganization of all these traditional elements.”
　　Zhuang said he believes there is no single contemporary aesthetic in the world， and buildings from different time periods and different regions each boast their own beauty. According to him， for both the conservation of resources and the continuation of rural and traditional culture， it is important to retain the purest sense of authenticity when and where appropriate. “We try to explore a modern architectural style within a Chinese narrative，” he said.

Flow of energy

　　In a city “flooded” by high-rises and other modern structures， the traditional styles do not seem out of place， as people can also be intoxicated by the mesmerizing retro attraction of historical buildings.
　　Liu’s designs， for example， are deeply rooted in nature and folklore； therefore， the architecture of the future， too， should allow room for spiritual meaning.

　　His ideal pursuit incorporates design activities into the current process of urbanization engulfing many a Chinese town and village， in turn forging a type of awareness shared by people of different generations.
　　Highlighting China’s time-honored cultural aspects of harmony between man and nature and respect for legacy and innovation， Liu said there is a philosophy that inspired and differentiated Chinese architecture from that found in other nations. “The concept of qi in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） extends far beyond the merely medicinal realm. Chinese-style architecture， too， is a wonderful representation of this Chinese philosophy，” he added. 　　In TCM， qi refers to the natural and essential energy of life. This energy flows through multiple pathways of the body called meridians. Each meridian regulates a particular organ， but all are interconnected. Good health depends on the circulation and balance of energy throughout the entire meridian system. “This balance is what a Chinese architect keeps in mind， the integrity of it all，” Liu said.
　　When architecture is embedded within a specific cultural and social context， it can generate a sense of community and identity for the local population. “Good architecture builds on the history of a place and carries it into the future，” Liu said. This way， mountain communities can become livable locations and interesting destinations for local excursions.“Architecture and the environment， should never be set against each other，”he added.
　　Liu judges a building not by its beauty or height or cost， but by how it contributes to making the city a better place to live in.
　　“I think any new building has the power to shape the new world， accommodate new needs and offer new functions， but the spiritual philosophy within the architecture itself can be a continuation from the past，” Liu explained.

Design for the future

　　“Responsible and sustainable design is not simply about individual buildings； it should be implemented at all scales—from product design to urban design，” Liu said.
　　Human activities are the principal cause of climate change. Climate change in turn increasingly impacts the environments， societies， and economies on which humanity depends. To meet this global challenge， societies need to both reduce the greenhouse gases they emit and better prepare for climate-related events. Architecture can contribute to this goal in many ways.
　　Liu associates sustainability with a concept called “passive architecture，”which connects to a designer’s desire to use natural energy sources that are internally provided by a building， rather than relying on those that are brought in from the outside.
　　Apropos the choice of building materials， Liu said he did not object to the use of modern， more solid materials. “But their style should match the look of the surrounding environment，”he said. BR