The study of activated re-utilization of Hakka-enclosed houses under the urbanization: XiPuXinJu as an example

ABSTRACT This paper studies XiPuXinJu, a Hakka-enclosed house that is located in the Longgang District, Shenzhen, China. By analysing the building’s development history and transformation process, it is proven that XiPuXinJu has both the characteristics of traditional Hakka-enclosed houses and is obviously influenced by Guangfu architecture from the Han culture from ancient central China. XiPuXinJu is typical of western Canton with important historical value; its development is a microcosm of the destiny of numerous unlisted historical buildings that have survived the torrent of urbanization. The main problems faced by XiPuXinJu are (1) stripped environmental elements; (2) weakened traditional architectural style, with the need to improve quality and living comfort; and (3) high vacancy rate. This paper suggests solutions for the activated re-utilization of XiPuXinJu with regard to three aspects: environmental reconstruction, building renovation and the implementation of new functions.