Forget fancy palaces. The actual intelligent design is the Fujian Tulou.
These were not constructed to appear beautiful. They were built to survive.
It was long ago when under the regime of Genghis Khan life became dangerous. The Hakka people had to relocate southwards. New location, new rivals, no security.
And so they altered their tactics.
They constructed robust and circular constructions such as fortresses instead of regular houses. No more than one gate, no more than a few windows in the outside. When someone attacked, they simply sat and waited by closing the door.
Simple and smart.
Inside, life was normal. Families were cohabiting, stored food and had water. They had everything they needed indoors. They did not have to go out, they could last long.
That is the motto, not to battle every battle--to be difficult to attack.
These buildings not only bewildered outsiders even in the Cold War. They appeared like military bases, when looked at above.
But they were just homes.
Strong homes.
Ultimately, the moral is evident, when life becomes difficult, the most intelligent design prevails.
Not the fanciest.
The strongest.