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RS1: The Lithium Triangle

Jiangyu Pan

Jiangyu is an MA Environmental Architecture graduate from the Royal College of Art (RCA). She is from China. Previously, she completed a five-year undergraduate degree in architecture at Tianjin Urban Construction University and obtained a Bachelor of Architecture (BArch).

In the RCA environmental architecture major, she works in the lithium triangle studio. She and her colleagues use satellite remote sensing data to study the relationship between salt mining in Chile and the fragile desert ecosystem. At the same time she studies the influence of local laws, mining and tourism on the lifestyle of local indigenous people. And carried out sustainable architectural thinking and design in the environment.

In her personal research project, she focuses on the relationship between global greenhouse gas emissions and modern agriculture. She also proposed whether Linpan, a native agricultural form in Sichuan, China, could become an alternative to local modern agriculture.

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School of Architecture

RS1: The Lithium Triangle

In the context of global warming and the continuous increase of modern agricultural pollution, traditional linpan agriculture has become a new solution. However, as the carrier of agriculture and life in the Chengdu Plain for thousands of years, agricultural transformation and upgrading, urban expansion, etc., linpan is facing a trend of gradual disappearance.

Western Sichuan Linpan refers to the organic integration of farmyards and surrounding trees, bamboo forests, rivers and surrounding cultivated land in the Chengdu Plain area that forms a rural residential environment. The basic unit is composed of houses, woodland and cultivated fields. It is a composite living mode integrating production, life and landscape. Its lifestyle and architecture have evolved into a cultural symbol in the long-term historical accumulation, branded in the folk customs of western Sichuan. This mode of production and life has a long history, and it is in harmony with the farming conditions, traditional farming methods and living needs of the Chengdu Plain. Organic agriculture in traditional linpan can affect farmland productivity by changing soil quality on the one hand, and on the other hand, changing the soil organic carbon pool can absorb atmospheric CO2 concentration to further affect global changes. Over all, Linpan represents ecological settlement units of field green islands, formed in semi-natural and semi-constructed wetlands, under the influence of the Dujiangyan water conservancy project. These units form a large area of oasis in the periphery of the city and act on the climate regulation of the Chengdu Plain environmental improvement.

As a unique agricultural and rural landscape, Linpan in Western Sichuan is a settlement form that is integrated with natural geography, which embodies the harmony between man and nature. Linpan is an important resource for the sustainable development of society, economy, and ecology in Western Sichuan, a precious cultural landscape, and an important carrier for the indigenous people to maintain their local cultural life and emotions. This design examines Linpan from the perspective of agriculture and society, proposes the evolution mechanism of Linpan organic renewal, and discusses Linpan protection and development strategies using Chengdu Linpan as an example.

introduction

As a unique agricultural and rural landscape, Linpan in Western Sichuan is a settlement form that is integrated with natural geography, which embodies the harmony between human and nature. Linpan is an important resource for the sustainable development of society, economy, and ecology in Western Sichuan, a precious cultural landscape and an important carrier for the indigenous people to maintain their local cultural life and emotions.

Western Sichuan Linpan refers to the organic integration of farmyards and surrounding trees, bamboo woodland, rivers and surrounding cultivated land in the Chengdu Plain area to form a rural residential environment. It is a composite living mode integrating production, life and landscape.
This mode of production and life has a long history, and it is in harmony with the farming conditions, traditional farming methods and living needs of the Chengdu Plain.
Ecological settlementOrganic farm

4 6hinstory

Over all, Linpan represents ecological settlement units of field green islands formed in semi-natural and semi-constructed wetlands under the influence of the Dujiangyan water conservancy project. These units form a large area of oasis in the periphery of the city and act on the climate regulation of the Chengdu Plain environmental improvement.

In the context of global warming and the increasing pollution of modern agriculture, I think traditional Linpan farming has become a new solution. The largest and only remaining "carbon sink" on the planet is soil and the renewable agriculture of traditional linpan has paid attention to soil. The more fertile the soil, the more carbon it contains. That is, by planting soil crops to improve soil health, recycling crop residues and reducing tillage. On the one hand, organic agriculture in traditional linpan areas can affect farmland productivity by changing soil quality, enhance agriculture's adaptability to extreme weather events, and improve food quality and surrounding water quality. At the same time, linpan farming combines animal breeding with crop planting to increase soil carbon content. Planting trees on pastures can store carbon in the soil at a faster rate. Therefore, in the context of Chengdu's vigorous development of modern agriculture, I think Linpan agriculture is of great significance.

restore the aquatic system — The massive loss of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers has caused eutrophication of the water environment, and traditional fisheries have disappeared on a large scale. I sorted out the water collection path, according to the natural topography, through fish ponds, canals, rivers and other natural methods to collect and purify the ecological landscape of the water system.

new linpan unit — The initial modules of the traditional linpan building are all "linear” types. Over time, population and functional requirements continue to change. Therefore, the new buildings in Linpan District are all linear shaped, and the indoor space is flexible and variable, which can meet the basic functional needs of different people. The semi-outdoor corridor is used as a primary social space. Linpan's new building provides more possibilities for life and production formats, such as farmers' homes, short-term rentals, hotels, seed supermarkets, bamboo weaving workshops, and so on. This demonstrates the expanse of Linpan's social influence.

Linpan new scenes — The organic renewal linpan is based on ecological revitalization, it guides villagers to build together, utilizes limited resources and achieves sustainable development. At the same time, it creates experimental, diversified business space to attract capital and talents to "return home". Therefore, linpan’s study and renovation can effectively reverse the decline of forestland villages and solve the contradictions and problems in the development of different types of linpan. It is also common in rural areas under the background of urbanization.

villager Li and his yard

traditional linpan family

vegetable field

canal pollution

abandoned building

disappearing building

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