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"The word Type represents not so much the image of a thing to be copied or perfectly imitated as the idea of an element that must itself serve as a rule for the Model... The Model, understood in terms of the practical execution of art, is an object that must be repeated such as it is; Type on the contrary, is an object (an idea) according to which one can conceive works that do not resemble one another at all. Everything is precise and given in the Model; everything is more or less vague in the Type." (Quatremere de Quincy, 1832) "The rustic hut ... is the model on which all the magnificent achievements of Architecture have been imagined. It is by moving closer, in the execution of work, to the simplicity of this first model that we avoid the essential defects and attain the true perfections ...It is the essential parts which contain all the beauties ... " (M.-A. Laugier, 1755) / Master of Architecture

iDuring the past twenty years, China has been making dramatic progress in both the quality and the quantity of collective housing construction. However, many old problems still exist, and many more new problems have emerged, especially in some historical and compact but now fastgrowing cities, such as Suzhou, a 2500-year historic city with more than one million people.The objective of this study is to explore a design strategy to improve the collective dwelling environment --- the most popular dwelling type in China today --- in such a fast growing context. In order to provide an improvement in urban dwelling environments for residents, it is necessary to rethink the interaction between the individual resident and his or her dwelling. "Because building a house is a cultural phenomenon, its form and organization are greatly influenced by the cultural milieu to which it belongs."' In concurrence with this statement, this study examines not only the contemporary urban situation and typical residential environment but also the traditional urban fabric and housing settlement.Based on the principle that a harmonious environment results from "a whole range of sociocultural factors"Z, this study seeks several equilibriums: between the urban tissue and the building, between the building and the dwelling, between nature and the human being. The author's longterm goal is to apply the knowledge gained in this study in future practice.In the first part of this report, theoretical research is presented concerning the evolution of Chinese housing. Narrowing its geographical focus, this study selects Suzhou, a medium-size city at Yangtze Delta --- one of the most rapidly growing and developing plains in China --- as the site for the study. The historical dwelling pattern and current public housing style have been studied. Drawing on extensive research and field observation, the scope of the study is confined to rebuilding the harmony between human beings in all their diversity and common needs, and the morphological, functional and environmental aspects of residential environments.In the second part, a design model is proposed. Inspired by traditional interdisciplinary design strategies, as well as by a brief study of contemporary social needs, the author has proposed a new housing type: bio-climatic "atrium type" collective housing. This type links bioclimatic design principles to the framework of Open Building. On this basis, an experimental design proposal is next presented. In a specific site, it examines a way to help people exercise control of their immediate living environment, with both individual and social sustainable perspectives in mind. / Department of Architecture

The built environment in the old city of Homs has been brutally destroyed by the conflict in Syria. The research gap in post-conflict planning and architectural design in the old city of Homs is alarming as it indicates that there are no clear roadmaps on how to deal with post-conflict housing units in such a historic area. This study aims to investigate the possible design basis of housing typologies and plans for the housing units in the old city after the conflict. This study is primarily based on a literature review and extensive discussions with a specialist architect from the city of Homs, who helped to gain a deeper understanding of how to approach such a topic. The literature review deals with the historical Arab cities’ components and the elements of courtyard houses both in general and in the old city of Homs in particular. Likewise, it looks at the city’s urban plans and building code and their shortcomings and highlights the current conditions there. It also highlights proposed strategies for post-conflict construction and discusses them. The findings of the study propose a design ideology for reconstruction strategies and translate these ideologies and findings from the literature into a practical design of typologies placed on a proposed plot of land in the old city, along with a proposal of what the plans of these houses might look like.