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SOUTH TAIHU LAKESASAKI ASSOCIATES

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SOUTH TAIHU LAKE | SASAKI ASSOCIATES

As China continues its march towards urbanization, generations of children growing up in cities are less aware of where their food comes from. The severing of this basic connection to the land and its resources poses a larger philosophical threat to how people may interact with the environment in the future. Without a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of our food, our health, and the landscape, will we feel compelled to protect natural resources like clean water and soil? The master plan for South Taihu Lake addresses this issue at its root by providing an educational environment where visitors gain insight into the contemporary agricultural economy. Beyond its cultivated fields, the plan includes a complex diversity of agricultural-related program including academic research, biotech and pharmaceutical production, ecological restoration, and the adaptive reuse of historic villages featuring local foods and crafts to showcase the interconnected nature of a modern agrarian-based ecosystem.

THE CURRENT STATE OF CHINESE AGRICULTUREIn the process of becoming the world’s manufacturing center, China has severely damaged its land and water resources, compromising its once rich agricultural heritage. In spite of an increasingly degraded landscape, China is still a powerhouse of agricultural efficiency, feeding nearly a quarter of earth’s population on just 7% of its arable land. Much of this production occurs not on corporate mega-farms, but on the family farms of China’s countryside. But these farms are in jeopardy. Between 1997 and 2008, China saw 6.2% of its farmland engulfed by sprawl. Rural villagers, dependent on agriculture for their livelihood, are being displaced at an

alarming rate, their social networks disrupted by broad-brushed resettlement strategies. And people are not the only ones suffering – the toll on China’s environment is equally as disturbing. Increased use of fertilizers and pesticides has caused soil pH levels to drop, turning it acidic and less productive. And five of China’s largest lakes, including Taihu, have substantial dead zones caused by agricultural runoff.

A NEW IDEA FOR THE COUNTRYSIDETo counter the argument that “progress” means that farmland must be sacrificed in the name of a “higher and better use”, the master plan for South Taihu Lake illustrates how agricultural lands can adapt to contribute greater value to their surrounding communities. Emphasizing agriculture’s impact in the larger context of the contemporary Chinese economy, the project includes a diverse series of elements that comprise a modern agricultural ecosystem including food production, research and development for agricultural-related industries, adaptive reuse of historic villages featuring local markets and farm-to-table restaurants, and the ecological restoration of a once highly degraded site.

WORKING IN TANDEM: AGRICULTURE AND WETLANDS AT SOUTH TAIHUEarly in the design process, extensive environmental analysis of the site and its context revealed that approximately 65% of the 1,312 hectare (3,242 acre) property is below the high water level of Taihu Lake. Although existing levees protect the site, seasonal flooding is still common. This led the design team to recommend that the client consider a significantly reduced

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development strategy, focusing primarily on a productive landscape that would still provide value by creating a unique business model to attract regional investment. The result is a plan which protects more than 75% of the site for agricultural use and environmental restoration.

Agricultural types are focused on different industries that are either growing or already thriving in the region. Orchards and other pick-your-own seasonal crops draw the burgeoning agri-tourism industry from nearby metro areas such as Shanghai and Hangzhou. Fields for organic, locally-sourced produce are used to supply high-value produce to local hotels and restaurants, including those in the restored historic villages on the property. Test plots provide experimental crops for research and development for the region’s established biotech and textile industries. Woven throughout the pattern of cultivated lands is a wetland network which corresponds to existing stream flows on the site that drain to Taihu Lake. This connected network provides a nutrient and sediment buffer from the farmland, improves water quality, and provides habitat for a variety of migratory birds and other native wildlife.

A NEW AGRARIAN SOCIETYThe result of the master plan for South Taihu is a self-sustaining community that can serve as a model for the Chinese countryside near its growing mega-cities. Working with the fabric of the site’s eight existing settlements, these villages form the core of an infill strategy for new development. This approach creates a series of compact, walkable clusters nestled within the bucolic landscape. Each cluster is designed to be

no larger than a 10-minute walk from end to end. This scale ensures that adjacent family farms are within a short walk from local residents.

Community clusters are also organized to provide opportunities for multiple generations to live at South Taihu. The compact form emphasizes pedestrian mobility, with schools and civic facilities located near the center of each neighborhood adjacent to a public square. At the edges of development nodes, industries that benefit from their proximity to agriculture such as biotechnology and pharmaceuticals use fields for research and draw young, educated workers and entrepreneurs by offerings new economic opportunities in modern growth sectors. Smaller, privately controlled plots are retained as small family farms, allowing existing residents to continue their traditional way of life, while also providing opportunities to venture out into new endeavors such as agri-tourism, farm-to-table restaurants, and locally-run bed & breakfasts. Developed with both local residents and visitors in mind, South Taihu is an active and authentic community that builds upon the rich traditions of rural life in China with a forward-thinking approach. Existing ways of life are preserved and infused with new yet related economic opportunities that create a clear path for the future of china’s agrarian landscape.

SOUTH TAIHU LAKE | SASAKI ASSOCIATES

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SOUTH TAIHU LAKE | SASAKI ASSOCIATES

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KEY PROJECT FEATURESIntegrated Agriculture – The master plan for South Taihu preserves over 75% of the site for agriculture and open space, retaining it for food production, higher value agricultural-related research and development, and landscape infrastructure. A New Development Vision – Development parcels are organized around existing settlements, integrating the fabric of the historic villages and creating a unique blend of contemporary uses and retained building stock.

A Learning Landscape – Throughout the property, cultivated land is used to educate visitors about food production, the agricultural supply chain, and the multitude of industries that rely on crops for raw materials.

Ecological Restoration and Stormwater Management – Landscape infrastructure including restored wetlands improves water quality and mitigates flood risk from adjacent Taihu Lake with a water-receiving landscape.

SOUTH TAIHU LAKEHUZHOU, CHINA

Design Firm | Sasaki AssociatesImage & Text Credits | Sasaki Associates

SOUTH TAIHU LAKE | SASAKI ASSOCIATES