Dr. Xuemei Li will look at the material, technology, and culture of the Dong community in Southwest of China, focusing on what they meant for the Dong in creating their vernacular architecture, as well as how we might read them today. The contrast between architecture in the Eastern and the Western parts shows some universal values.

Biography:

Dr. Xuemei Li holds a PhD in Architectural History and Theory from the School of Architecture at Sheffield University. She also has BEng and MEng degrees in Civil and Structural Engineering from South China University of Technology. Dr. Li studied on the origins of vernacular architecture of the Dong community in Southwest of China, from perspectives of social culture, traditional architecture and building techniques. Her papers are published in the Journal of Architecture and the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. She has taught courses in Structural Engineering and Architectural Design in South China University of Technology, George Brown College and Ryerson University in Toronto.