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Circular Design Week 2024 in Taiwan took place over four days, from October 10 to 13, under the theme “Bioregion-ing Together.” The first two days featured field tours and workshops at four sites across Yunlin County, Chiayi City, and Tainan City, offering participants the opportunity to explore circular design practices across various scales. The program then moved to Taipei City for the final two days, where a conference was held in collaboration with the Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI). The conference brought together designers, design researchers, and circular design practitioners from 12 regions across seven countries, including Taiwan, Indonesia, the UK, and Vietnam. Participants engaged in dynamic discussions that extended beyond the narrow scope of circular design, transcending various networks and communities.
CDW2024 After Movie
Reflections on
Tours and Workshops
These reflections were made possible with the invaluable support of Yi Chi (Natasha) Cheng and were translated into Mandarin Chinese using generative AI tools with the assistance of Phoebe Lue. Photos provided courtesy of Susu, @ss.s.u_uu, and are licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.
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Destination1 Yu-Ding-Shing Wood-Fired Black Bean Soy Sauce Factory, Yunlin County
Entanglements Full of Flavors: Soy Sauce at the Heart of Community and Culture
Run by two brothers who are third generation owners of their family business, Yu Ding Shing is more than just a soy sauce factory—it is a guardian of traditional fermentation techniques deeply rooted in the local landscape. Beyond being just a condiment, soy sauce serves as a catalyst for culinary innovation and a cornerstone that brings the community together.
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Destination2 Taiwan Field School, Chiayi City
People, Land, History: Redefining the Meaning of Timber as Building Blocks of Lifescapes in Chiayi
Guided by the philosophy of "learning on the land," Taiwan Field School redefines urban revitalization as a participatory process of reweaving connections—between past and present, material and memory, individuals and their shared environment—through hands-on restoration of wooden architectures.
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Destination3 Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City/Taisugar Circular Village, Tainan City
Designing for Loops and Flows: A Window into Pioneering Technologies and Future Opportunities in Tainan
What if a residential complex could be designed to integrate the most advanced circular and regenerative technologies from the ground up? Taisugar Circular Village, built within Shalun Smart Green Energy Science City, is a bold experiment actively exploring the answer. The results so far were nothing short of inspiring, offering a glimpse into a possible future and revealing new design opportunities.
Conference Session Reports
These reports were generated using generative AI tools based on the transcripts from each session. While the CDW’24 organizers have made considerable effort to edit and verify the texts for accuracy, please be aware that there still may be discrepancies compared to what was presented or discussed during the conference. Photos provided courtesy of David Kang, @da_kangmera and James Yeh, @jy.__.photo, and are licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.
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Keynote: Bioregioning; Design, Ecology and a future
“We are not just trying to slow down growth; we are reimagining what it means to live in harmony with the earth.” Bioregioning is not just a design methodology; it is a story about how we can live together more sustainably and harmoniously with the natural world.
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Session1: Bioregioning as Care
Bioregioning is not merely a theoretical concept but a practical framework for sustainable living based on the act of caring. Aligning our practices with the cycles and wisdom of the land through careful noticing and attunement enables a holistic approach to addressing the environmental challenges of our time.
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Session2: Future Circular City
By embracing circularity that takes into account not only physical material flows but also other values such as social justice, gender equality, and decentralized agencies, urban lifescapes can reduce their environmental footprint, empower local communities, and create inclusive and resilient ecosystems.
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Session3: (Re)Making sense of the built environment within bioregioning flow
Circular design is not just about materials and their physical durability or the efficiency of technical resource management, but also about reconnecting people with their environment and fostering a sense of collective responsibility through the act of caring about, for, and with the multitudinous worlds in which we are inextricably situated.
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Closing: The future(s) of circular design in the Asia-Pacific region
The shift toward circularity involves not just technological solutions but also a fundamental change in how society views ownership, value, and consumption. From community-driven initiatives to bioregional thinking and the integration of indigenous knowledge, adapting circular design practices to the local context at different operational scales is key.
Take a virtual stroll through our conference photo gallery, showcasing vibrant interactions, dynamic workshop sessions, and memorable snapshots from the reception. Dive into these snapshots for a glimpse of the energy, ideas, and connections that made the event truly special.