Dafang Creative Village - rural regeneration

China's unprecedented urbanisation process, from being a predominant rural society to having an estimated one billion Chinese living in cities in 2050, has left hundreds of thousands of villages abandoned. Many of these have strong social, cultural and monumental value, but are currently lacking major future significance.

To address this challenge, our multidisciplinairy team together with numerous artists were asked by the Government of Jinxi, Jiangxi Province, to develop a strategy for one of its 102 abandoned villages, Dafang. Our team believes this challenge asks for the design of balance between old and new, living and visiting, history and future.

Smartland has joined the workshops with local government and villagers and presented together with NEXT architects a masterplan and strategy for the village renewal. Smartland designed the public space, restoration of the old watersystem and relation with the surrounding landscape. NEXT was also responsible for the architecture and interior.

Location: Dafang, CN

Type: Strategy, materplan, landscape design and public space

Surface: 20 ha

Status: Realised 2020

Client: Jinxi government

Participation: Residents

Team: NEXT architects, IVEM, Smartland, Total Design, Linda Vlassenrood