Some backbone changes for using empty models with Razor views.

html-sync.js

/*jshint indent:2, nomen:false, browser:true */
/*globals define, console, ActiveXObject */
/**
 * Html custom sync for html usage.
 */
define(['underscore', 'backbone'], function (_, Backbone) {
  'use strict';
  var HtmlSync = {};
  var methodMap = {
    'create': 'POST',
    'update': 'PUT',
    'patch':  'PATCH',
    'delete': 'DELETE',
    'read':   'GET'
  };
  var urlError = function() {
    throw new Error('A "url" property or function must be specified');
  };
  HtmlSync.sync = function (method, model, options) {
    console.log('syncing...', model.emptyModel);
    var type = methodMap[method];

    // Default options, unless specified.
    _.defaults(options || (options = {}), {
      emulateHTTP: Backbone.emulateHTTP,
      emulateJSON: Backbone.emulateJSON
    });
    if (model.emptyModel) {
      var params = {type: type, dataType: 'html'};
    } else {
      // Default JSON-request options.
      var params = {type: type, dataType: 'json'};
    }
    // Ensure that we have a URL.
    if (!options.url) {
      params.url = _.result(model, 'url') || urlError();
    }

    // Ensure that we have the appropriate request data.
    if (options.data && model && (method === 'create' || method === 'update' || method === 'patch')) {
      params.contentType = 'application/json';
      params.data = JSON.stringify(options.attrs || model.toJSON(options));
    }

    // For older servers, emulate JSON by encoding the request into an HTML-form.
    if (options.emulateJSON) {
      params.contentType = 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded';
      params.data = params.data ? {model: params.data} : {};
    }

    // For older servers, emulate HTTP by mimicking the HTTP method with `_method`
    // And an `X-HTTP-Method-Override` header.
    if (options.emulateHTTP && (type === 'PUT' || type === 'DELETE' || type === 'PATCH')) {
      params.type = 'POST';
      if (options.emulateJSON) params.data._method = type;
      var beforeSend = options.beforeSend;
      options.beforeSend = function (xhr) {
        xhr.setRequestHeader('X-HTTP-Method-Override', type);
        if (beforeSend) return beforeSend.apply(this, arguments);
      };
    }

    // Don't process data on a non-GET request.
    if (params.type !== 'GET' && !options.emulateJSON) {
      params.processData = false;
    }

    // If we're sending a `PATCH` request, and we're in an old Internet Explorer
    // that still has ActiveX enabled by default, override jQuery to use that
    // for XHR instead. Remove this line when jQuery supports `PATCH` on IE8.
    if (params.type === 'PATCH' && window.ActiveXObject &&
          !(window.external && window.external.msActiveXFilteringEnabled)) {
      params.xhr = function () {
        return new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
      };
    }

    // Make the request, allowing the user to override any Ajax options.
    var xhr = options.xhr = Backbone.ajax(_.extend(params, options));
    model.trigger('request', model, xhr, options);
    return xhr;
  };
  HtmlSync.parse =  function (resp) {
    if (this.emptyModel) {
      this.set('html',resp);
    } else {
      return resp;
    }
  };

  return HtmlSync;
});

projects.js

define([
  'jquery',
  'underscore',
  'backbone',
  'htmlSync'
], function($, _, Backbone, HtmlSync) {
  var Projects = Backbone.Model.extend({ 
    url: '/Home/Projects',
    emptyModel: true,
    parse: HtmlSync.parse,
    sync: HtmlSync.sync
  });
  return Projects;
});

projects_view.js

define([
  'jquery', 
  'backbone', 
  'models/projects'
], function ($, Backbone, Projects) {
  var ProjectsView = Backbone.View.extend({
    el: $('#projects_panel'),
    initialize: function () {
      var projects = new Projects();
      this.model = projects;
      this.listenTo(projects, 'sync', this.render);
      this.model.fetch();
    },
    render: function () {
      var html = this.model.get('html');
      this.$el.html(html);
    }
  });
  return ProjectsView;
});