“What we call ‘architecture/old houses/homes’ are actually the memory banks of a nation.”

From century-old building blueprints, revitalized old houses in neighborhoods, to comprehensive urban renewal planning—this archaeological study of Taiwan’s spaces across a hundred years is the necessary path to understanding where we stand and where we’re heading. This perspective is now presented through the Taiwan Modern Old Houses and Urban Regeneration Series:

❏ Tracing Origins | ‘Taiwan History in Architectural Drawings’

This book collects design drawings of 80 public buildings from the Japanese rule period, discussing how Taiwan’s construction system under colonial rule transformed from traditional master-apprentice secret transmission to a systematized language for future reference, thereby establishing the foundation of modern architecture and forming a spatial evolution trajectory still visible today.

❏ Practical Guide | ‘Beyond Aged’

From the perspective of practitioners, this book compiles 32 revitalization cases of old houses from different eras and functions, along with complete pathways from initial conception, historical research, and spatial renovation to sustainable operation, offering a feasible model of regeneration that balance business models with community connections.

❏ Looking Forward | ‘Unfinished Business’

Using real-life cases of aging and unsafe buildings as its starting point, this book analyzes the multiple contradictions within current urban renewal between regulations and regulatory systems, market mechanisms, and resident perspectives. Based on this, it proposes 6 major reform initiatives, aiming to outline a future vision for Taiwan’s cities that is more public-oriented and genuinely responsive to people’s needs.

We give our sincere thanks to Teacher Wu I-yen (ArchiWalk Co-Creation and Integration) and Teacher Ling Tsung-kuei for their enthusiastic recommendations, as well as to Yuan-Liou Publishing’s chief-editor Shen I-ching and our original editor Ke Ya-qian for their strong support. This is what enabled these three volumes^_each focusing on ‘historical origins,’ ‘contemporary practice,’ and ‘institutional thinking’^_to be compiled into a collection that offers all readers concerned with urban and rural development a more comprehensive map for thinking about the future.

▌Event Announcement

12/11 ᴛʜᴜ. The authors of the three books will hold a discussion forum at the Architects’ Gallery. Please stay tuned for upcoming event information!

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▌Taiwan’s Modern and Contemporary Old Houses and Urban Regeneration Book Series

❏ Book Price｜Original price NT$1890, limited-time special offer NT$1360 until 12/16 ᴛᴜᴇ.
❏ Purchase Link｜【Taiwan’s Modern and Contemporary Old Houses and Urban Regeneration】Three-Book Set──From Drawings, Restoration to Renewal, From Colonial Modernization to Urban Planning, Reading a City’s Hundred-Year Life