Winner: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
Award: Merit Award for Urban Design
The master plan for Nanhu integrates the city’s agricultural backdrop with transit access and urban amenities to create an interconnected, compact, and pedestrian-friendly village. Shared public areas encourage social activity and movement through the neighborhoods.
More than 700 hectares of the entire site is comprised of farmland that utilizes obsolete and inefficient farming systems, causing significant soil degradation and environmental damage. Working closely with the client and the government, the Nanhu New Country Village Master Plan was developed to implement current agronomy technology and more sustainable farming practices into the existing culture. Reform policies are being introduced into the overall reorganization of the city’s farm management system in an effort to remedy the significant environmental issues. The plan is also focused on remediating canal network contamination and reducing water usage throughout the wetland ecosystems. This collaborative local effort shall continue to transform this city into a more livable community and serve as a model for future development in agricultural regions throughout China.