Symbiosis of New and Old: A study on the design of a youth-oriented student shared community in the historical city of George Town, Penang Part 2 Dissertation 2025 Zhi Shing Heng Tongji University | China George Town, Penang-widely recognized as one of Malaysia's most well-preserved historical cities -was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008. Amid ongoing urban development, the abandonment of heritage buildings and the rise of new construction have raised pressing concerns about the coexistence of historic architecture and contemporary urban growth. This dissertation seizes the opportunity to envision a student shared community within the city's heritage core, presenting a research based design proposal for a Youth-Oriented Student Shared Community in George Town. It addresses the challenge of integrating old and new within heritage contexts, framed by three key objectives: symbiosis between old and new, youth kampung, and diverse sharing. Through an extensive literature review and case studies, this study proposes design strategies rooted in the principles of integrity, authenticity, and diversity. It investigates how architecture can foster holistic symbiosis between new and old, facilitate the dialogic integration of historic and contemporary elements, and articulate multidimensional narratives of shared spaces. This dissertation emphasises the potential of student shared communities as catalysts for sustainable urban renewal and social inclusivity in historic settings. With shared living as an agent of dialogue, it proposes a replicable design framework that challenges conventional boundaries between preservation and innovation. Tutor(s) Zhenyu Li