Homecoming: Contextualizing, Materializing and Practicing the Rural in China

Homecoming presents work by an emerging generation of Chinese architects that uses unique design and working approaches to resist generic mass construction and foreign iconic building. In particular, these architects are offering resistance against the rapid urbanization that has dominated the Chinese landscape. By responding to a local Chinese context, they have raised the avant-garde of China's architectural design practice in recent years. The title of the book has multiple meanings for the featured architects. For some, “homecoming” is returning back to China after they have studied and lived abroad. Others understand working with the rural as “coming home” to discover their ancestors and traditional roots. All may also refer to personal memories and perceptions they have of the Chinese countryside.