The Centre for Housing Innovations (CHI) was established in partnership with the Committee of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Construction (MOC, the current Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, MOHURD) of China in 1998. It is the result of several years of intensive research on urban housing in China at the Department of Architecture, with the continual support of the MOC and the Architectural Society of China (ASC). CHI's objective is to achieve high quality and affordable urban housing for mid to high density development, and to improve the livability and efficiency of future urban housing in China through design and technology integration.
In collaboration with the MOHURD and other research academies in the Mainland, Hong Kong , Taiwan and overseas, CHI focuses on housing researches, as well as studies in environmental simulation, sustainable planning, green architecture, and urban humanity aspects. CHI has carried out academic researches, consultation projects and relevant academic activities, such as international conferences and forums, educational and training programs, in multi-disciplinary research domains of housing and multi-scaled urban planning and design.