China Building Restoration, anySCALE, the Courtyard Institute and The Royal Asiatic Society invite you to a talk by Jim Spear on “Great Wall Style: Repurposing Old Buildings & Materials”.

The talk will be based on experiences detailed in Spear’s recently published book, Great Wall Style, an inspiring work that relates Spear’s building restoration projects across four villages near the Mutianyu Great Wall area (Huairou District of Beijing). The book is based on Spear’s extensive personal experience and insights, chronicling the process of how he initially restored the Schoolhouse into a breathtaking restaurant, later the Brickyard into a boutique hotel, and several additional projects since that time. The Schoolhouse and Brickyard are sustainable tourism destinations that offer visitors a chance to experience Chinese rural life in the peace and comfort of sensitively and thoughtfully restored village buildings.

The Schoolhouse Project initially began in 2006, when Spear and his wife Liang Tang restored an abandoned primary school in Mutianyu village, converting it into a restaurant and an art glass studio. Since this initial project, the couple has restored several additional underutilized village buildings in the area. All of their projects preserve traditional village layouts and the historical traces of existing buildings, while also incorporating contemporary interior designs. The Brickyard Retreat for example, a boutique inn situated near the Mutianyu Great Wall, was originally rehabilitated from an old ceramics factory that produced glazed roof tiles for temples. Spear’s building projects not only offer visitors an authentic rural living experience in China, but also have notably revitalized local economies while remaining environmentally sustainable.

In this talk, Jim will lead us through his experience of undertaking these restoration projects, with a particular focus on historical buildings and the repurposing of original materials. He will also share thoughts and opinions on the state of building preservation, the restoration industry, and sustainable tourism in China today. He will be discussing the conceptualization and implementation of a few of his restoration projects , as well as some of the challenges faced in repurposing old buildings and materials. The talk will be approximately 45 minutes long, with an additional 45 minutes devoted to Q&A afterward. If you are interested in learning more about his book Great Wall Style, there will also be a book signing at the end.

Jim Spear, fluent in Chinese and educated at the University of California, Berkeley, spent nearly 20 years doing business in China prior to moving full-time to his vacation house at Mutianyu Great Wall in 2005. He expanded and upgraded the home, turning it into a year round retreat. Spear’s passion for designing and building country houses became a business and today he has completed over 30 homes for clients from around the world. His projects have been featured in many Chinese and international publications, including Architectural Digest. When the mayor of his village asked him to help the local community, Spear and his wife Liang Tang founded The Schoolhouse at Mutianyu Great Wall, a for-profit sustainable tourism enterprise which has grown to include three restaurants, an art glass studio, a gallery, a unique resort comprised of rental homes dispersed across two villages, and an eco-retreat created from a re-purposed glazed tile factory--all designed by Spear. Most recently, the Schoolhouse earned recognition for best responsible tourism practices in China in 2012 from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). Previously, it was also selected for best tourism enterprise in Beijing’s scenic Huairou District in 2010 and won the HICAP Sustainable Communities Award in 2009.

Admission:

(a)    Adults: RMB 50/person

(b)    Students: RMB 20/person (Please bring valid student ID)

(c)    Small drinks and snacks will be provided

Language:

English

If you have questions or want to find out how to get to the event go to: www.courtyardinstitute.com