In preparation for the 2023 66 Bazaar on October 14, Architect Leching Chiang gave a talk on the topic of "The Earth Belongs to Everyone: Architecture for the Common Good" at the Animal Shelter's Houli campus on October 9. The subject of this talk meshed with the theme of this year's bazaar, "Family Day," and reminded listeners that the animal shelter is also a temporary home for stray animals. The Shelter's Houli campus was designed by the Leching Chiang Architect Office over a one-year period, and provides stray animals with a warm and comfortable place to stay and prepare for the day when they can join someone's family. In his talk, Architect Chiang shared many interesting details of the Houli campus' design process, such as how the building is intended foster the common benefit of humans and animals.

When the Houli campus of the Taichung City Animal Shelter re-opened in 2021, it represented a remarkable break with people's image of traditional animal shelters as being dirty, chaotic places. Incorporating aesthetic design in a public buildings has proven to be a new avenue for bringing public art into society, and the Houli campus has become a paradigm for animal shelters throughout Taiwan. Several years ago, the Houli shelter still consisted of an old steel-frame structure with a sheet metal roof, and the environment was unpleasant. But after renovation, the cleanly-designed shelter now consists of a white main structure with an unconventional curving form, which symbolizes an openness to the outside world. The elongated, crisscrossing structural elements also evoke a yellow ribbon signifying a search for freedom, peace, and happiness. The core value of the campus' design is a shift from a purely human perspective to recognition of animals' needs, and its design takes the animals' right to sunshine, need for emotional management, and the separation of visiting and disease prevention lines of motion into consideration. As a result, the shelter is a truly appealing and animal-friendly place.

Apart from Architect Chiang's talk, "The day they became family members" public photography show is being held at the Houli campus from September 1 to October 21. Furry children are among the most beloved members of our families: Photos submitted for this show by members of the public commemorate the times when new furry children came into their lives, and tell the stories of how these new family members arrived. We welcome everyone to visit the Animal Shelter's Houli campus and take a look at these photos, which bear witness to some of life's happiest moments. And don’t forget to take your furry child to the 66 Bazaar on the afternoon of October 14 for a very enjoyable outing under the warm fall sunshine!