The Toad Hill community, located by the Xindian River, is a mountain city built by the military dependents and the dependents of the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute in the early days, and later by the migrants from the urban and rural areas. The urban development trajectory is preserved in this community, including the water facilities in the Qing Dynasty, the agricultural research layout during the Japanese colonial period, the military landscape of the Sino-American Mutual Defense, the "Huanmin Village" (the only air force dependents village completely preserved in Taipei City), and a self-developed community jointly by military dependents and migrants from the urban and rural areas in Taipei. Due to its diverse historical, cultural, and ecological resources, it was designated as a cultural landscape of Taipei City in 2014. Through the space maintenance and preservation program, we will continue to promote military dependents' village culture, urban agriculture, intergenerational coliving and create an ecological learning area in the Toad Hill.
Introduction
Toad Hill Living Room
The construction team tried to retain the tiles on the walls of the household and the texture of the ground according to the site conditions to present the atmosphere of the original space.
Benches that people can sit side by side under the eaves, forming a space for chatting and waiting. The floor-to-ceiling windows that can be fully opened, create an indoor extension of the outdoor activities, and have also become an important node for local residents to communicate with the public. Wooden doors and windows continue the simple military village style of the past.
Military Dependents’ Housing
The few mountain villages in Taiwan that were co-constructed with military bases. Most of the buildings in this area are 3-story buildings, some of which have stairs and balconies on the second floor. This also reflects the fact that in a certain era, after the children grew up or when the children were young, the families rebuilt their houses and sublet them to earn money to support their families. This is a common memory of the generation who lived in military villages.
Trees that protect the village - Ficus microcarpa and Ficus caulocarpa
In 2013, the demolition of Huan Min Village was postponed due to the fact that the two trees were reported as designated old trees in Taipei City. Through the efforts of both public sector and non-government organizations, the Huan Min Village was preserved as part of the cultural landscape of Toad Hill. Therefore, it is affectionately known as the "trees that protect the village" by local residents.