Welsh and Shanghai universities challenge students to design sustainable housing in Shanghai through MMC

The Tongji-Cardiff Sustainable Architectural Design Joint-studio is a collaboration between Cardiff University’s Welsh School of Architecture and Shanghai Tongji University. This year, students are invited to Design for Manufacture: Sustainability and Modern Method of Construction where they are asked to propose a design strategy for sustainable housing in Shanghai through modern method of construction (MMC).

The idea originally came from Design for Manufacture, a competition launched by the UK government in 2005, with the aim to stimulate changes in the construction industry, to improve efficiency through MMC at a wide commercial scale, and to demonstrate the possibility to build good-quality with sound cost-effectiveness.

The annual programme, entering its third year, brings students of different educational and cultural backgrounds together, introducing them to the global nature of architectural practice.It is designed to challenge students to develop design strategy for conditions outside of their own culture. Plus, it enables students to live in a foreign country and explore the difference.