Joint Coordinator of CIB W104
JIA, Beisi
Ph.D (Nanjing & Zurich), B.Arch. PGC (Zurich), Ass. HKIA
Associate Professor, The University of Hong Kong, China PR

Postal Address:
Room311 Knowles Building, Department of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong

E-mail Address: jia@arch.hku.hk

Associate Professor in Architecture design, housing and history

JIA Beisi, has been an associate professor in Architecture, Housing and History at University of Hong Kong since January 1996.
He is a coordinator of Year Program of BA(AS) of the school, and joint coordinator of W104-Open Building Implementation in International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB).
He holds a Bachelor of Architecture Nanjing Institute of Technology (NIT China) and Postgraduate Diploma of Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich).
He obtained a Ph.D in Architecture History and Theory in 1990 through a joint program of NIT and ETH Zurich.
From 1990-1993, he held the position of Lecturer in Architectural Design in Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
From 1993 to 1996, Beisi was a Research fellow and Post-Doctorate at ETH Zurich.

Research

JIA Beisi completed his PhD on housing flexibility with a title: Housing in Long-Term Effectiveness.
His Post-doctorate research projects in Zurich include a survey of housing projects in Switzerland, the result of which was published in a book Housing Adaptability Design.
Since 1996 he completed several research projects in housing adaptability and housing sustainable development based in China and Hong Kong, including:
• Housing Design Strategies for Sustainable Development in Urban Density (HK$ 70,000, 11/1996-8/1998)
• Research on Relaxation of Window Requirements for Kitchen and Bathroom in Standard Domestic Block (HK$$400,000, October 1998-January 1999)
• Ecological Living and Ecological Housing Design Guidelines for Housing in Hong Kong (HK$80,000, 1997-1999)
• Comparative study on public housing environments in Hong Kong and Singapore: Strategic proposals for housing the billions in future China's cities (HK$ 80,000, 1998-2001)
• Comparative Study on Sustainable Housing Development in Guangzhou and Zurich (HK$ 72,000, 1999-2003)

Since the major duty at the University is teaching, Architectural education has been also a major subject of his research.
He has completed a project Sensual Fundamentals of design: architectural training methodology (Principal Investigator (HK$ 70,800 (1998-2001).
He has also participate a research Sustainable Housing Development in Hong Kong as a co-investigator since September 1997 (HK$433,000).

Research Interests

Open Building, Housing in Urban Density, Sustainable Housing, Problem-based Learning in Design Studio.

Selected Writings on Open Building

Books
• 1995 Housing in Long-term Effectiveness, Lamper Enterprises Co. Ltd, Taiwan (in Chinese).
• 1998 Adaptable Housing Design, Southeast University Press, China, Jan. 1998 (in Chinese) (Co-author: 80%) (ISBN 7-81050-301-4)
• 2003 Architectonics of Modernism, China Architecture & Building Press, Beijing (ISBN 7-112-06087-7), 280 pages (in Chinese)

Papers
• 1999 "From the Small to the Large and From the Large to the Small: The two trains of thought in housing systematization", Jian Zhu Xue Bao (Architectural Journal ), no.7., pp.10-13, (in Chinese).
• 1992 "Application Methods of Flexibility in Modern Apartment Buildings", Jian Zhu Shi (Architects), no.48, p.49-55, (in Chinese).
• 1994 "A Planning Process Involving Local People in Urban Renewal: Proposals of a Planning Method for Muxi Street Urban Renewal Project in Nanjing, China", Open House International, vol. 19, No.3., UK, pp.23-31.
• 1995 "Adaptable Housing or Adaptable People?" Architecture & Behavior, vol.11, no.2, Switzerland.
• 1998 "Component Strategies for Adaptable Housing in China's Dense Urban Settings", Open House International, Vol. 24, No 2, 1998
• 1998 "To Achieve Adaptability With Simplicity of Design: A Practical Experience of Adaptable Housing in Switzerland", Hong Kong Papers in Design and Development, Vol. 1.
• 1998 "Continuity, Regularity and Diversity - Planning Strategies for Urban Redevelopment in the Shanghai" Asian Geographer, 1998 Volume 17 Nos. 1-2 issue, Hong Kong, (Co-author: 50%)
• 2001 "Open Housing, Compact City and Environmental preservation: A Critical Look at Hong Kong's Experience", Open House International, vol.26 no.1 2001, UK. (ISSN 0168-2601) pp.26-33
• 2001 "Infill Components in High Density Housing: The Past, Present and Future of Hong Kong Housing Sustainable Development" Open House International Vol.28 no.3 2001. UK. (ISSN 0168-2601) pp.9-18.
• 2002 "Kongkong braucht keine Architecktur (Hong Kong does not need 'Architecture')" Tec21, Nr.43, October 2002, pp.7-14. Zurich (ISSN 1424-800X) (in German)
• 2003 "Three Attempts to Mobilize High Rise Housing Interiors" (co-authored with Ada, Y.W. Ho) Proceedings of Dense Living Urban Structures: International Conference on Open Building (ed. by JIA Beisi), The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, October 23-26, 2003 (ISBN9627757055), pp.243-249
• 2004 "Compact Living Districts: the approach to sustainable housing development in suburban of China?" (Co-author: Cheng Haiyan and S. Ganesan) (in Chinese with English abstract). Architect no.107, February 2004, Beijing: China Architecture and Building Press. pp.4-11. (ISSN 1001-6740)
• 2004 "An Introduction to Open Building as a Teaching Manifesto", Open House International, Vol. 29, No.1, 2004, UK, pp.5-13 (ISSN 0168-2601)
• 2004 "Operable Infill in Housing Renovation: A practice in urban density", Open House International, Vol. 29, No.2.
• 2005 "Environmental challenges for post-reform housing development in Beijing", Habitat International. Vol. 29, Issue 3, pp.571-589
• 2005 "A Qualitative Assessment of the Environmental Impact of Flexible Partitions", Open House International vol. 30 no.1. 2005 pp.33-43 (ISSN 0168-2601)

Editor
• 2003 Proceedings of Dense Living Urban Structures: International Conference on Open Building, Vol.I and II, The University of Hong Kong (ISBN 6-927-75705-5), 390 pages.
• 2004 Open House International : Open Building Perspective. Vol 29 No.1 2004, UK, (ISSN 0168-2601) 114 pages.