How Should We View Old Houses? And what are the origins of the old house renewal movement?

Amid the “Formosa Audacity” aesthetic popular on social media, old houses often appear as a retro trend, sparking debates about nostalgia and style. However, the nearly 111,000 buildings over half a century old across Taiwan island represent a tangible and dilapidated reality within our urban development. This is an issue on display now that demands our focused attention to find solutions for today and tomorrow. In recent years, many homeowners, entrepreneurs, and design professionals have entered the field of old house renewal. However, the ideal often clashes with reality, giving rise to a series of challenges: Where does the funding for restoration come from? How can a balance be struck between historical context and modern functionality? How can a sustainable business model be established?

In response to the many questions arising from old house renewal projects, the X-Basic team has spent two years distilling our first-hand practical experience and industry observations into a book. “Old House Maturity: 32 Inspiring Stories, a Sustainable Guide to Activating and Restoring in an Era of Aging Buildings” is available for pre-order today and will be officially released on September 24th.

This isn’t just about sentiment; the X-Basic team offers practical, actionable methods.

“It’s not about ‘activating’ a case, but about turning the dream of preserving an old house into a strategic plan with multiple viable paths”.
– Aquarius | Cultural Director, Ho-Ching-Tian 76

As Aquarius notes, the core of the case studies in “Old House Maturity” is “method”. Our team traveled across Taiwan to document over 32 old house renewal projects. Through interviews with owners, restorers, and operators, we recorded not only the final beauty of these matured spaces but also meticulously reconstructed the detours and turning points along the way. The book includes:

□ Conceptual Clarification | Defining the value of old house preservation by analyzing specific cases, from the Old Taoist Way’s revival to the transformation of hospitals, homes, and department stores, to outline a new framework for Taiwan’s heritage.

□ Case Studies | Analyzing the human stories behind 32 projects. We spoke with designers about utilizing old house spaces; we visited teachers from diverse ethnic groups at Nan-Kuo-Kүн Palace to see how education saved an old house from demolition, turning it into a living classroom for future generations; we analyzed the innovative “rent-before-renovating” model at Kaohsiung Xiaogang Hostel, which allows tenants to find their place.

□ Practical Q&A | Systematically addressing common challenges in old house renewal, from legal assessments/regulations and design planning to restoration work and business models.

A Look Inside: The Framework of “Old House Maturity”

▌Foreword

　Returning old houses to the flow of life, and cultivating the nutrients for the future. – Sheng-Lin Chang
　An opportunity to move our old houses toward a sustainable city – a return to the revitalization and reuse of everyday life. – Fang-Chieh Jung

▌Preface

　We Need “Old Buildling Architecture” – Hsiao Ding-xiong

▌Part I・An 8-Point Encounter with Old Houses

　Q1. Is My House Considered an Old House?
　Q2. The Reasons for Renewal
　Q3. It’s Complicated to Start, But How Difficult Is It?
　Q4. Is Restoring an Old House Expensive? How Do I Find Subsidies?
　Q5. The Many Trials and Dialogues on the Path of Old House Renewal
　Q6. Exploring the Diverse Values of Old Houses
　Q7. Is Managing an Old House a Field of Study?
　Q8. Old House Renewal: A Lived Trajectory of Intertwined Lives

▌Part II・The Beauty and Sorrow of Old Houses

　01. The Dawn and Vision of Old House Renewal – A History of an Emerging Concept and a Preservation Movement
　02. The Rebirth of the Old Taoist Way for Buildings – Challenges and Opportunities in Old House Preservation and Taoist Architecture
　03. The Different Paths of Three Buildings of a Certain Age – Lukang’s Baichuan Hospital, Changyuan Hospital, and Chiayi’s Huaping First Hospital
　04. More Than Just Restoration: Facing the Business Challenge – The New Life Model of Three Family Homes
　05. Where Old Houses Meet Modern Society – Four Department Stores as Witnesses to the Evolution and Renewal of Taiwan’s Old Houses

▌Part III・Classic Case Studies of Maturity in Old Houses

　01. Baimiweng Fort | Qing Rule Period | Cultural Space
　02. Beckerhouse | Qing Rule Period | Commercial Space
　03. Ta-hsi Old House | Qing Rule Period | Cultural Space
　04. Changyuan Hospital－Lukang Historic Image Museum | Qing Rule Period | Mixed-Use Space
　05. Chiau-Chan-Tshù Suki na B&B | Qing Rule Period | Commercial Space
　06. Ho-Ching-Tian 76 | Japanese Rule Period | Commercial Space
　07. Rongjin Gorgeous Time Life Cultural Park | Japanese Rule Period | Mixed-Use Space
　08. Ho-Ching-Tian | Japanese Rule Period | Commercial Space
　09. Sin-Poa-Lio̍k River Residence | Japanese Rule Period | Commercial Space
　10. OR House Hsinchu | Japanese Rule Period | Commercial Space
　11. Li-siông Club | Japanese Rule Period | Commercial Space
　12. Nan-Kuo-Kүн Palace | Japanese Rule Period | Educational Space
　13. Hobe Village | Japanese Rule Period | Mixed-Use Space
　14. Kaohsiung Prison Official Residence Group | Japanese Rule Period | Mixed-Use Space
　15. Houbi Huang Family Historic House | Japanese Rule Period | Residential Space
　16. Lin Department Store | Japanese Rule Period | Commercial Space
　17. Hsin-Hòa High School Hospital | Japanese Rule Period | Educational Space
　18. ArtDe•Corner | Japanese Rule Period | Cultural Space
　19. Keelung Pazihmen Power Plant | Japanese Rule Period | Post-war | Commercial Space
　20. National Museum of Taiwan History | Post-war | Cultural Space
　21. Ta-tshiuann Single-Car Garage・Space・Station | Post-war | Residential Space
　22. Shih Chien University College of Design Building and Department Building | Post-war | Educational Space
　23. Sù-ha̍p Credit Union | Post-war | Commercial Space
　24. Workstation JK | Post-war | Mixed-Use Space
　25. Kaohsiung Xiaogang Hostel | Post-war | Residential Space
　26. Miáo-sù-chhut Pit | Post-war | Mixed-Use Space
　27. Taiping Theater | Industrial | Cultural Space
　28. San-Hô Tile Kiln | Industrial | Mixed-Use Space
　29. Hù-sik Warehouse・KW2 | Industrial | Commercial Space
　30.Cijin Technicians’ Quarters | Industrial | Mixed-Use Space
　31. Taiwan New Cultural Movement Memorial Museum | Industrial | Cultural Space
　32. An-tsîng-thâu and An-á-thâu building | Industrial | Commercial Space

▌Appendix – A Starter’s Guide to Old House Renewal: Q&A on Activation

　01. Preliminary Investigation, Evaluation, and Process for Old House Restoration
　02. Integrating Design and Construction in Old House Spaces
　03. Reuse and Operational Management of Old Houses

▌Expert & Scholar Recommendations

　[Recommendations in Order]

　Sheng-Lin Chang | Professor, Graduate Institute of Architecture and Urban-Rural Studies & Vice Dean, College of Innovation and Design, National Taiwan University
　Fang-Chieh Jung | Adjunct Professor, Dept. of Environmental and Cultural Resources & Humanities and Social Sciences Program, National Tsing Hua University
　Chairman, Ancient Sites and Cultural Education Foundation

　[Recommendations]

　Aquarius | Cultural Director, Ho-Ching-Tian 76
　Kuan-Hsing Lu | Director, Architectural Research and Design Center, Feng Chia University
　Hsiao-Wei Lin | Architecture Professor, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chairman, Taiwan Cultural Heritage Society
　Tsung-Yen Ling | Building & Cultural Heritage Worker
　Chun-Che Huang | Associate Professor, Cultural Heritage Center, Chung Yuan Christian University
　Tzu-Hsuan Huang | Principal Architect, Shihching Architects firm
　Tsun-Chang Huang | Founder of Daily Classic; former Director, Youth Development Administration, Changhua County Government
　Pei-Fen Hsieh | Chief Advisor, X-Basic Planning Co., Ltd.
　Hsin-Yi Chung | Firm Architect; Chairman of the Board, Foundation for the Preservation of Ancient Sites and the Promotion of Culture and Education
　Ming-Hsiu Tsai | Associate Professor, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology
　Ming-Hsiu Tsai | Associate Professor, Architecture and Interior Design, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology
　I-Hsuan Wu | Founder, Jianzou Dazai@Jianzou Dazai Co-Creation Co., Ltd.

“Old House Maturity” Pre-order Information

□ Publication Date｜Pre-orders open on 9/17・WED. on online bookstores, officially launched on 9/24・WED. through all network channels.
□ Pre-order Period｜2025. 09. 17・WED. –2025. 09. 23・WED.
❏ Pre-order Channels | Books.com.tw / Eslite / Taaze / Kingstone
❏ Book Price | NT$ 660