Dua Tau Din/ Live Together

The Rezoning area is near Hsinchu City's old district. It’s the formal Air Force veteran village base, date from 1950 "Black Bat Squadron," which is famous for flying high altitude surveillance planes for the US during the Cold War. The village they live in is like a camp, temporary and small, but it also creates bonding in the community. The rezoning of this area will modernize and wipe out what was there: farmland and traditional villages. After WW2 and the Chinese Civil War, the houses where the military personnel were settled became villages in various major cities. To be efficient, the villages are close to each other, but it creates a community that bonds with each other and creates a unique sense of place.

It all started with the memories of when we were kids, living in a small village where neighbors and relatives were all close but in different houses. The city looks the same after rezoning and development, but the relationships between people and land are not the same; there is no connection between house and home, and it's impossible to own a courtyard in the city.

So instead of building traditional residential buildings in high-population areas like Hsinchu, we recreate the sense of an old neighborhood with modern architecture. In this block, we create a village by giving each building a courtyard and a 200-meter alleyway that connects every building. Because everyone lives so close, to avoid disturbing each other, architects use volume and balcony design at different angles to give separate buildings their own views. Each building has its own view and outdoor privacy.

The main material for this community is glaze red brick, which creates the sense of touch and color of time. The materiality gives a sense of handcrafted feeling and changes over time. The materials and craftsmanship of this village aim to give the ideal of place as a reflection of life.