Currently, rural environments and cultural traditions in China are facing unprecedented challenges, yet they also offer significant opportunities for innovative development. Evolving urban-rural relationships, shifting industrial models, and emerging technological tools continuously shape and transform the evolution of contemporary and future rural landscapes. Within this context, we must ask: What perspectives and methods should we adopt to understand the complex dynamics between urban and rural areas? How can we reinterpret the traditional wisdom and future potential for building an ideal rural landscape? What design approaches should we employ to envision its future? These questions call for thoughtful research and design responses.
In 2025, Southeast University and the University of Pennsylvania jointly hosted a summer school themed Innovative Rural-scape, focusing on forward-thinking approaches to rural landscape design. The 2025 SEU-PENN Summer School involved on-site investigations and research across four locations: Shanghai, Nanjing, Huizhou, and Hangzhou. The studios conducted a series of academic surveys and professional practices, engaging with classic samples and typical cases in various rural landscape categories, including urban environments, historical districts, traditional villages, and contemporary rural landscapes.
Building on this foundation, students from China and the United States were grouped into ten interdisciplinary teams to conduct innovative research and design explorations. The following showcases a series of projects developed in response to the summer school’s theme.
01 CULTURAL MATERIAL FLOWS
Using historic villages in Anhui and Hangzhou as case studies, this project explores the symbiotic relationship between cultural heritage and material resources. By establishing a dual circulation network of water travels and hiking trails, traditional agricultural products—such as silk, honey, and grains—are reimagined as design mediums. Structures like the silkworm house, beekeeping workshop, and water mill are revitalized through adaptive reuse, transforming once-routine production scenes into vibrant community assets. This cyclical flow of local resources not only stimulates the rural economy but also rekindles collective memory.
Southeast University: Rui Lu, Yuxuan Wu
University of Pennsylvania: Jichu Zhang, Melissa Bleecker, Claire Luning
Anhui Jianzhu University: Xinnan Wang
02 VERNACULAR STREET OBJECTS
In response to the fluctuating number of visitors in Huizhou’s historic villages, this study investigates how local residents flexibly adjust the boundaries between public and private spaces through small-scale interventions. These adaptive spatial strategies demonstrate the villagers’ capacity to recalibrate their living environment based on evolving use patterns. Such approaches offer valuable insights into non-invasive rural design—balancing the needs of both visitors and residents while embodying the spatial resilience of the countryside.
Southeast University: Lixin Zhong, Chengyi Yang
University of Pennsylvania: Hailey Quinn, Alexander Tobin, Camilla Meeker
Anhui Jianzhu University: Chenjun Yue
03 LINKING HUIZHOU
The design for the three Huizhou villages adopts an interdisciplinary approach. Guided by principles of minimal intervention and reversibility, the project revitalizes historic spaces through the use of mobile platforms and adaptive furnishings—supporting performances, commerce, and cultural activities, while fostering local artistic exchange and the transmission of traditional knowledge. Additionally, phased implementation strategies draw on urban economics theory to provide financial support for a youth residency program, linking heritage conservation with community sustainability.
Southeast University: Congcong Yao, Shuyu Ding
University of Pennsylvania: Reed Putnam, Ezinne Uzor, Shay Myerson
Hefei University of Technology: MinMing Yao
04 ROOT AND BRANCH
Focusing on left-behind elders and children in rural areas, this project closely examined the daily rhythms of their lives. By planning movement routes and redesigning ancestral halls and their surrounding spaces, the design reactivates public areas and offers practical strategies for inclusive rural revitalization.
Southeast University: Deqing Lin, Qi Dang
University of Pennsylvania: Darren Tindall, Louis Santana, Mary Osborne
Hefei University of Technology: Shan Wu
05 From Harvesting to Sowing
The design highlights the issue of urban–rural development imbalance and proposes a ‘seeding’ model to establish rural academies that connect with urban resources. Emphasizing low-tech interventions, the project employs modular bamboo structures and sun-shading woven nets to define flexible spaces. By integrating seasonal festivals with agricultural education, the design explores innovation at the intersection of culture, nature, and time.
Southeast University: Yi He, Tianyu Zhang, Yijin Li
University of Pennsylvania: Pearl Brosterman，Laura VanKoughnett，Ambika Trasi
Anhui Jianzhu University: Xin Ding
06 Water Systems in Huizhou Villages
Focusing on water as a central element, this project conducts a systematic study of the hydrological systems in three villages—Hongcun, Yuliang, and Xixinan—to uncover the spatial logic shaped by local water knowledge and cultural perception. Xixinan was selected for targeted light-touch restoration, integrating feng shui principles to create therapeutic nodes that foster emotional engagement and spatial interaction.
Southeast University: Yuhong Qian, Beiyu Zhou, Yiyao Li
University of Pennsylvania: Madeline Scolio, Olivia Jozowski, Eleanor Schnarr
Anhui Jianzhu University: Maochun Li
07 Reading the Layers
This study explores how an understanding of spatial hierarchy can inform adaptive reuse strategies. Focusing on the Hu Family Ancestral Hall in Huli Village, Anhui, the design intervention considers six dimensions—including historical and spatial aspects—to transform the formerly enclosed site into an open public space. Select walls are preserved, translucent structures are inserted, and interior partitions removed to enhance spatial permeability. A contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional yingbi (screen wall) honors collective memory while generating new spatial experiences, reactivating the heritage site and strengthening its connection to the surrounding community.
Southeast University: Dongyi Zhang, Mengyuan Niu
University of Pennsylvania: Fanessa De La Rosa，Fatima Arar，Xuliang Ban
Hefei University of Technology: Zuxin Xia
08 RURAL COMMONALITY
Grounded in theories of commons, this study deconstructs the public spaces of Huizhou villages, using ancestral halls as a focal point to analyze the interplay between spatial typologies and social behaviors. It advocates for preserving organically evolved patterns of use and cautions against overdesign, aiming to explore inclusive pathways for rural development. The research introduces the concept of a ‘Rural Spatial Reconfiguration Lab’—a framework for reimagining village spaces and provoking reflection on the future of rural revitalization. This approach offers a fresh perspective for rural regeneration efforts.
Southeast University: Jingchun Zhou, Tian Xia
University of Pennsylvania: Laura Ellis, Tyler Maynard, Caroline Anderson
Hefei University of Technology: Xirui Li
09 The Garden of Forking Paths
Inspired by The Garden of Forking Paths, the design transforms a once-enclosed ancestral hall into an open and restorative park. Using locally sourced materials, the project creates an inviting public space that fosters social interaction and a sense of community. Special attention is given to the needs of the local older population, providing a safe and comfortable environment for daily leisure. The design honors historical continuity while reimagining the site as a vibrant place for collective memory, achieving a contemporary revitalization of traditional space.
Southeast University: Lanxi Li, Zheng Wang
University of Pennsylvania: Emma Robertson, Yunshu Du, Caroline Griffis
Anhui Jianzhu University: Shumin Li
10 Creative Traditional Craft
The proposal repurposes Zhongxiandi Compound and Huang Village Primary School into a multifunctional complex serving as a center for craft training, educational programs, and cultural exhibitions. The existing parking lot is transformed into a timber pavilion for showcasing local craftsmanship, creating a network for the transmission of traditional skills. This integrated design fosters active engagement from both residents and visitors, revitalizing community participation through cultural continuity.
Southeast University: Ling Tang, Chenmeng Qiu
University of Pennsylvania: Jonathan Joseph Bonezzi，Dagny Carlsson，Eleanor Noble
Hefei University of Technology: Min Wang
The SEU-PENN Summer School successfully brought together faculty and students from four universities in China and the United States, creating a vibrant platform for academic exploration and cultural exchange. Professor Shi Yonggao, the program’s lead instructor, noted that the initiative not only fostered the exchange of scholarly ideas and cultural perspectives but also built meaningful bridges between young scholars from both countries. Guided by an international team of instructors, students applied innovative thinking to explore pathways for rural revitalization—merging sustainable design principles with traditional wisdom to propose community-driven solutions. Participating international faculty praised the high level of cross-cultural collaboration, emphasizing that design, as a shared language, transcend disciplinary and national boundaries. The program create lasting memories and laid a strong foundation for future global collaboration and academic innovation.
Innovative Rural-scape
Directors: Tong Zhang, Fredrick Steiner
Academic Advisors: David Leatherbarrow, Zao Li, Wei Xuan, Ming Ge, Yuan Zhu
Faculty Lead: Yonggao Shi, Ming Tong, Sinan Burat, Franca Trubiano, Christopher Marcinkoski, Ellen Neises
Instructors:
Southeast University: Tao Shou, Yipeng Wang, Gaochao Zhang
University of Pennsylvania: Yadan Luo, Daniel Garcia
Anhui Jianzhu University: Lei Zhang
Hefei University of Technology: Xu Wang
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