Living with the Dead: Adaptive Reuse of Ancestor Halls in Urban Villages of Southern China | Masters Design Project

Site Context

More than 20% of China’s population is elderly, and over half of them are empty nesters. Due to physical and mental degeneration brought on by the younger generation’s departure, everyday tasks have become extremely difficult for the elderly.

As a result, elderly associations have formed on their own to provide services like shared kitchens and haircuts, and mutual aid has naturally emerged. These activities mostly take place in the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall has undergone unexpected uses over the course of thousands of years, all the while maintaining its sacred and symbolic significance. The concept of “living with the dead” encompasses not only departed family members but also outdated beliefs, abandoned structures, and unused areas. The site is in Shixia village, Guangzhou, which is home to a significant number of elderly empty nesters and several ancestral halls.

Final Outcome

The village operates as an expansive ancestral hall, blending tradition with modern necessities. Traditional homes now function as both private residences and shared community assets, with some rooms rented out to foster mutual support or repurposed into public facilities to improve accessibility. Essential communal features, like social spaces near entrances and the ancestral hall’s shared kitchen and activity areas, have been maintained and enhanced. New developments include adaptable patios, a hot bath area, and a multifunctional dining hall near vegetable gardens, designed to host gatherings, workshops, and important ceremonies.

The design centers on the tablet, representing both the deceased and the living. The altar shelf, integrated with the staircase, brings a sense of spatial order. For the deceased, it holds tablets for ancestral worship; for the living, it serves as a space for daily activities and entertainment. The patios provide adaptability, seamlessly connecting to communal areas. In essence, the village evolves into a network of shared spaces under collective ownership.

The project renovates both the house and the village as the ancestral hall and introduces a flexible housing system with communal spaces to improve mutual aid. The central component of the house’s design is the ‘jian’, which is the basic modular unit defined by the distance between two columns. In order to establish family boundaries, a door system will be introduced and the space will be returned to its original “jian” layout. A new gate will be added for the patio, preserving its prominent social areas and elements while granting public access to private spaces. The patio will improve flexibility, and the columns will aid in creating spatial order.

For the village, a distinct outline ensures privacy and promotes a feeling of ownership and belonging, while blurred boundaries enable future expansion and increase the area’s flexibility. A spatial hierarchy will define both permanent and non-functional areas. The altar shelf, combined with the staircase, will enhance spatial order.

Conclusion: The ancestral hall, once a stronghold of specific belief practices, has evolved into a versatile space. Initially centered in the home and grounded in filial piety, it has now reclaimed its role in supporting both family and the elderly. It is no longer solely a space for honoring the dead but has become a place for the living to innovate and explore new possibilities.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]