GroundUP, an NGO for Architecture, Design and Sustainable Communities in North China

Article coming soon

Check out the sustainable community NGO that I helped co-found:  GroundUP.
http://www.groundup.archi

GroundUP helps to promote low energy affordable architecture for villagers in China. We have just begun and are always looking for advice and ideas.

During my PhD research, I lived in villages in rural north China for a few years studying how traditional religious and martial arts organizations contribute to community revitalization and social cohesion. It became apparent that rural communities suffered out-migration in part because village infrastructure is poor. In 2014, I met Fred Dolmans, an inspired Canadian architect working in Beijing. After talking, Fred and I realized we shared the same goals- to assist with grassroots efforts to build sustainable, healthy communities in rural north China.   We came up with some appropriate very simple and low-tech solutions to help build inexpensive and far more comfortable structures for rural people.