Dong Mei (东梅) is a Chinese

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

and the co-founder and director of the firm, BCKJ (Biechu Kongjian Architects). She is well-known for both her design work and her contribution to academic research. In 2020, Dong Mei and her husband gained international recognition from the 2020

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

Dorfman Award.

Early life and education

Dong Mei was born in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

in 1967. She was accepted into the Department of

Architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

Southeast University Southeast University (SEU) is a public university in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction. Its precursor, ...

(SEU) in 1985 and graduated in 1989 with a degree in

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

. After her time in

post-secondary Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

, she began work at the Beijing Residential Architectural Design Institute as a junior

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

and then later being prompted to a senior engineer position.

Career and achievements

BCKJ Architects

Dong Mei co-founded BCKJ Architects (Biechu Kongjian Architects) with her husband, Liu Xiaochuan in 2004. The office consists of less than 10 people working on a wide range of projects from residences, offices, and schools to museums, parks, and stadiums. As a team, both Dong Mei and Liu Xiaochuan have gained recognition through the

Dorfman Award, which they received in 2020.

Sustainability

Dong Mei is driven by the ethos of “

symbiosis Symbiosis (Ancient Greek : living with, companionship < : together; and ''bíōsis'': living) is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction, between two organisms of different species. The two organisms, termed symbionts, can fo ...

with the environment” and creates work that is recognized by the jury chair of the

Dorfman Award as work that focuses on community, cultural heritage, and nature. Dong Mei has been one to spearhead

with

sustainable Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

values before the importance of

green building Green building (also known as green construction, sustainable building, or eco-friendly building) refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's li ...

was recognized. In the past, the building and construction sector in

prioritized

economy An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...

and efficiency, often using industrialized products for rapid

urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...

and did not consider the local

vernacular Vernacular is the ordinary, informal, spoken language, spoken form of language, particularly when perceptual dialectology, perceived as having lower social status or less Prestige (sociolinguistics), prestige than standard language, which is mor ...

. Despite that, Dong Mei worked with

energy conservation Energy conservation is the effort to reduce wasteful energy consumption by using fewer energy services. This can be done by using energy more effectively (using less and better sources of energy for continuous service) or changing one's behavi ...

and

environmental protection Environmental protection, or environment protection, refers to the taking of measures to protecting the natural environment, prevent pollution and maintain ecological balance. Action may be taken by individuals, advocacy groups and governments. ...

as the core focus of the design approaches, with much of the research going into “simplifying building volumes ndimproving natural ventilation,” – concepts drawn from passive housing principles.

Other achievements

Patents received in China

* January 2015 – Patent for “Ecological toilet”; patent publication number: CN204081558U * January 2015 – Patent for "Rainwater collection gravity toilet flushing device"; patent publication number: CN204080921U * September 2015 – Patent for "Compressed Wheat Bundle Brick and Compressed Wheat Bundle Brick Wall"; patent publication number: CN204645307U

Major works

Clove Valley ECO-Hotel (2019)

A hotel complex designed prioritizing nature by leaving minimal impact and disruption through the consideration of habitat preservation and making space for natural processes such as

rainwater Rain is a form of precipitation where water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Eart ...

movement and vegetation growth. The buildings are made of lightweight material and incorporates sustainable building technologies such

biomass Biomass is a term used in several contexts: in the context of ecology it means living organisms, and in the context of bioenergy it means matter from recently living (but now dead) organisms. In the latter context, there are variations in how ...

and

solar energy Solar energy is the radiant energy from the Sun's sunlight, light and heat, which can be harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar electricity, solar thermal energy (including solar water heating) and solar architecture. It is a ...

cross ventilation Cross ventilation is a natural phenomenon where wind enters an opening, such as a window, flows directly through the space, and exits through an opening on the opposite side of the building (where the air pressure is lower). This produces a cool s ...

, passive thermal insulation, and waste water treatment.

Badaling Forest Experience Center (2014)

Designed with respect to

nature Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the Ecosphere (planetary), ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the Scientific law, laws, elements and phenomenon, phenomena of the physic ...

, the project encompasses the human as a part of nature and blends the built form into the environment. The project considers factors of lightweight and recyclable materials, space for habitat growth and preservation, and green building principles such as sufficient

thermal insulation Thermal insulation is the reduction of heat transfer (i.e., the transfer of thermal energy between objects of differing temperature) between objects in thermal contact or in range of radiative influence. Thermal insulation can be achieved with s ...

and

Polus International College Students Apartment (2014)

student housing A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm), also known as a hall of residence, a residence hall (often abbreviated to halls), or a hostel, is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential qu ...

project that utilizes corridors and

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...

s to connect living spaces to provide a place for community building amongst students. The 19 public spaces are intended for social interaction and self-discipline, with one of them being a vegetable garden tended to by the students. With the predicted decline in the student population, the apartments are designed with the ability to be transformed into senior housing in the future.

Black Tiger Primary School (2010)

reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *''Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Union ...

project following the

2008 Sichuan earthquake An earthquake occurred in the province of Sichuan, China at 14:28:01 China Standard Time on May 12, 2008. Measuring at 8.0 (7.9–8.3 ), the earthquake's epicenter was located boxing the compass, west-northwest of Chengdu, the provincial ...

, the design uses local materials and traditional building methods to provide a place for learning. Despite the limited funding from the government, the building is recognized for representing the Qiang people culture while working with modern sustainable materials in creating a place that reconnects the local people to their surrounding context.

Other works

* Turning the Corner, Have a Smile (牡丹园里寻牡丹), Beijing, China (2021) * Clove Valley ECO-Hotel (丁香谷生态酒店), Yangqing District, China (2019) *Bookstore in the Forest (青龙谷书吧), Beijing, China (2018) *Home in the forest (森林之家), Beijing, China (2018) *Engrossing Room (潜心小舍), Beijing, China (2016) *Activity Center of Xiaolongshan Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Association (小陇山自然资源与环境保护协会活动中心), Tianshui, China (2015) *Wuhan Qingchuan College (武汉晴川学院), Wuhan, China (2015) *Badaling Forest Experience Hall (八达岭森林体验馆), Yanqing, Beijing (2014) *Gates on the Bridge (桥上的大门) – Entrance of Beijing Songshan National Nature Reserve, Beijing, China (2014) *Hang Xing Technology Center (航星技术中心), Beijing, China (2012) *Renovation of the Courtyard of No. 38 BaoChao Hutong (宝钞胡同38号四合院改造), Beijing, China (2012) *Yongyou No.5 R&D Center (用友软件5#研发中心), Beijing, China (2007) *Public Classroom Building of Peking University (Second Classroom Building) (北京大学公共教室楼 (北大二教)), Beijing, China (2007) *Renovation of Yuyuantan Office (玉渊潭办公室改造), Beijing, China (2003) *Peking University Nongyuan Canteen (北大农园食堂), Beijing, China (2002)

Awards

* 2020 – The Royal Academy Dorfman Award, London, UK

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dong, Mei 1967 births Living people Chinese architects Chinese artists Peking University alumni 21st-century Chinese architects Chinese women architects