The application of Huizhou and Suzhou house design principles to American community development

In our modern civihzation, people face serious problems in coping with the poor quality of their houses and community design. Unfortunately, in the United States, the country which everybody dreams about as a place where they can achieve self-success, the design of homes and communities appears to be following an inappropriate direction, one that ignores the emotional and social contacts between each member of society. This could eventually become the obstacle preventing the popiilation from achieving their maximum psychological and physical well-being.

In the past, in a slower paced world, the development of the environment into physical and psychological components occurred through native wisdom, trial and error, and cultural preference so that the "fit" between man and environment was so close that the mental and physical health of the inhabitants of a dwelling was strengthened by the very design of the building. China was chosen as the country for study because of the length of time over which its culture has developed. Through the study and analysis of two types of traditional Chinese house and community design-Huizhou and Suzhou (Figures 1.1 and 1.2). This thesis will apply the findings to the design of a typical American building type, housing for the elderly. A description of the design proposal is included in the last chapter.