Fang Xiaofeng
Professor
Associate Dean
Graduate Supervisor
Editor in Chief of Decoration magazine
Research Interests:
Theory of Chinese traditional landscape formation and its contemporary applications
Urban public space design
Academic Proposition:
I have been trying to interpret the architectural phenomena from a macro historical and cultural perspective, combining Chinese and Western elements either in the past or present. From the perspective of architecture, I have also studied why things were built at a specific time or place, at specific scale or in a specific manner? To answer these questions, we must take human factors into consideration when studying architecture and garden design history. Therefore, when we focus on architecture and garden design, we need to study their development while understanding the mental status of people at that time. In my doctorate dissertation, Royal Religious Architectures in Beijing during Qing Dynasty, the results not only extended the depth and breadth of research on architectural history, but also enriched the history of royal families. Similarly, garden design is not merely the formation of landscape, but also the expression of minds and the needs of people. Therefore, starting from the aspects of human factors, the design shall as a whole consider various issues including space layout, landscape relations, building configuration, plants configuration and the combination of materials, which proved to be extremely important and meaningful. In my opinion, the charms of environmental art lie in the overall understanding of environmental factors, fully using environment resources in the creations and attaching importance to the integration of these factors other than simple creations. Contemporary urban construction in China is in urgent need for exploring its cultural basis, as traditional theories and practices of architecture and garden will benefit contemporary construction. I have an intense interest in the public nature of modern cities, and have published many papers reflecting the different aspects of a same research subject. Construction must not ignore the importance of its public nature under the irreversible urbanization trend.
Academic Achievement:
1. Design Practices
General Planning for Art Design and Cultural Development in Three Gorges Dam Area
Planning for Comprehensive Environment Management of the region in front of the Main Building of Tsinghua University
Landscape Design of the region North of Broadcasting Station of Tsinghua University (Monument for Former Southwest United University)
Industrial Tourism Planning for Tangshan Mining Area of Kailuan Group
Design of New Leifeng Tower in Hangzhou
2. Publications
Architectures as the Language of Wind (honored as the most beautiful book of China in 2007)
Chinese Garden Art: History, Art and Skills, and Famous Gardens Appreciation
The Lost Glory: Research and Protection of Yuanmingyuan Garden Architectures
Royal Religious Architectures in Beijing during Qing Dynasty (doctorate dissertation)
Designing for China: Foreign Architects and Contemporary Architecture in China
3. Honors and Awards
2007 Academic Newcomer Award of Tsinghua University
4. Projects
As the supervisor, I assisted my students with their master’s dissertation, i.e. Study on Openness of Newly Constructed City Park: Taking Beijing Chaoyang Park for Example, and Application of Availability in Contemporary City Park Construction: Taking the Innovation of Beijing Chaoyang Park for Example.
Academic Teaching:
Chinese and foreign history of architectural gardens, gardens in urban planning, garden design, and introduction to environment & art design.
