High Technologies Give a Common Ground
China and Taiwan, separated by the Strait and a number of unresolved political issues, however, actively engaged in common business. In the city of Xiamen, Fujian in south-east China is implementing a project of the Professional Photonic Technical College - advanced technical college, in which will be trained specialists in the field of photonics. Its construction is fully funded by Ching Fu, one of Taiwan’s largest privately owned companies with over forty years of modern shipbuilding experience.
The ground breaking heralds the development of significant cultural and trade links between Taiwan and the Chinese province of Fujian, which previously hosted the country’s primary coastal defense system against Taiwan, now dismantled to make way for new bilaterally funded projects in the region.
Ching Fu has recently commissioned 10 DESIGN (often referred to as “10”) as Lead Master Planner for this 12, 000 person campus along with architectural commissions for Phase 1 and 2 building designs. 10’s precedent experience in the Taiwan- China Cross Strait region has played a significant part in Ching Fu’s decision on the contract award. 10 previously designed the 93 hectare master plan for the Central Business District Mixed Use Development in Pingtan (also in Fujian), which is the Governments’ flagship development to spur trade and political communications between Taiwan and China.
For the Photonic College project, 10 are responsible for the master plan design, the architectural design of five of the nine buildings in the first phase, and the landscape design in the same phase. Most of the structures for these nine buildings are under construction.
10 will also be designing buildings in phases two and three. The project involves a very fast track program with complex overlapping construction schedules.
John Chen, the son of the Ching Fu Chairman says: “Fujian has recently been expanded to become a global leader in the production and design of LED technology. Ching Fu’s Photonic College will be one of the first initiatives of the city’s master plan, providing a supply of trained workers for the province. We are very excited and look forward to welcome the first 3,000 students enrolled in the Photonic College by the first year of opening in September 2013. In four years, we anticipate the total number of students to grow to 12,000."
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Mat erials provided by 10 DESIGN