A five-bay house in Zhejiang Province

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Homes all over China in pre-modern times had a lot in common. The way of laying out a house was similar among the rich and poor, both in earlier and later times. Certain materials and techniques, such as pounded earth foundations, timber framing, and use of bricks and tile were present throughout the country. Nevertheless, houses were by no means identical in all parts of China. If we look at houses in different regions we can see much that differed from place to place. Although few examples of Chinese homes have survived from antiquity, using archeological evidence, scholars have determined that many of the basic principles of Chinese house design, such as the emphasis on orientation, layout, and symmetry go far back in Chinese history. In this unit we will examine first the basic elements of a Chinese house, then look at how houses varied by wealth and regional variation.

OrientationOne of the most striking aspects of Chinese domestic architecture is the practice of making houses face south. Archeologists have found that many Neolithic-period houses were rectangular with a southfacing door. Zhou period settlements were also organized on a north-south axis. These early dwellings no longer exist, but houses in China, the earliest of Detail from the Ming dynasty Carpenter's Manual showing the best places to site a house. The text for which date from the Ming dynasty, the house to the right says: "If there is a rock also show a tendency to face south. resembling a wine jar, the house changes into a 'site Houses built today are also built of fullness.' The family will be rich and as soon as a facing south, if space allows. wish is pronounced, gold and silver will comepouring out." source

South-facing houses have several advantages. Can you think of some of them?

HINT

The importance of orientation developed into the practice of feng-shui which literally means "wind and water" but is often translated as geomancy. Click here to learn more about feng-shui (geomancy). Feng-shui concepts also dictated the kinds of material used in buildings. Combined with the location of the building, the proper building materials were thought to re-direct beneficial energy for the inhabitants. The most common building materials for houses in China are earth and wood, both of which have positive associations.

The foundation of a house generally is made of pounded earth, and in some situations where wood was rare, earth was used in the construction of walls. Earth can be pounded into shape or made into bricks for walls. Click here to see how buildings are made of pounded earth and how bricks are made. For roofs, depending on the wealth of a family, the material could vary. Clay is a fairly common material for making tiles for roofing. Click here to see how tiles are made. In some areas, for poorer people, thatch and bamboo were also common material. How do these building materials differ from ones found in your environment?

Detail from a Ming period manual showing brickmaking source

Where wood was available and affordable, it was used to frame houses, providing support for the roof. The wood framework systems for Chinese homes and other buildings were standardized by the Ming dynasty and differ from wooden frameworks used in other parts of the world. Ordinary people could do much of the construction, but often experts were needed for framing. Click here to see examples of wooden framing.

Woodblock print from the Ming dynasty Carpenter's Manual, showing a carpenter at work source

Wood framework systems are important to consider because they determine the size of the house. The basic building block of Chinese architecture is the bay or "the space between," which is the space defined by roof supports. Chinese houses almost always consist of an odd number of bays; an even number of bays is considered unlucky. Therefore, three- or five- bay houses are common.

A diagram of the supports for a three bay house source A south-facing three bay house in Inner Mongolia source The three-bay house can be understood to be the basic unit of Chinese homes. Depending on the size and the wealth of the family, these houses were added on to, often in standard ways. One common extension of the three-bay house was the creation of a courtyard dwelling. Traditionally, one family would share a courtyard space.

Courtyard houses epitomize traditional Chinese architecture. In Beijing, depicted here, such courtyard residences have been typical since the Yuan dynasty. Can you identify a basic three-bay unit in this courtyard home? How many bays do you think are found in this dwelling? ANSWER

Bird's eye view of courtyard house in Beijing

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A notable feature of the courtyard house is that the complex is fully enclosed by buildings and walls. There are no windows on the outside walls, and usually the only opening to the outside is through the front gate. Why do you think there are no windows on the outside of the compound? What would be the appeal of living in this sort of courtyard compound?

SOME THOUGHTS

Ming dynasty woodblock print

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It was not easy to see what a house contained by peeking through the front gate. Courtyards were constructed so that when one looked through the first doorway of the house only a brick screen was visible. Access to the rest of the house required first turning a corner. Ideally, the main door did not line up exactly with the inner quarters. What kind of impression would this type of entry give the visitor?

MORE

A doorway of a Beijing courtyard house showing the screen wall source

The sizes of courtyard houses vary greatly depending on the wealth, size, and the taste of the family, but generally the compounds had an inner courtyard (or a series of inner courtyards) and were built on a north-south axis. Like the simple three-bay house, the door of the main building faced south. The line drawings below show how the courtyard shape could vary while retaining balance.

Diagram of a three-sided courtyard house source

Diagram of a four-sided courtyard house source

Diagram of a two-courtyard house

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As the two-courtyard house diagram above shows, new courtyards could be added creating a multi-courtyard dwelling. Doorways to the east or west could open into a garden. Uses of rooms in a typical two-courtyard house plan at left: 1. Main entrance 2. Rooms facing the rear. The rooms facing the back, those near the entrance to the courtyard were reserved for the servants if the family was well-off. 3. First courtyard. Cooking was carried out here, and the second courtyard was a living space. 4. East and west-side rooms, for the sons and daughters, or the sons' families. 5. Inner Hall. Where the members of the family greeted guests or where family ceremonies were held. 6. Main building. Living space for parents. 7. Small side rooms. These used for children and extended family members.source

What can the diagram tell us about the organization of Chinese families? Why do you think the rooms at the very back of the courtyard (number six on the diagram) are reserved for the older family members?

ANSWER

The courtyard was not only the basis of design for Chinese homes, but was also used in the design of more complex structures such as palaces and temples. The courtyard layout can be clearly seen in the overview of the temple at left.

Fayuan Temple, Beijing.

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This temple is toured in the urban temples section of the Buddhism unit

Although the three-bay house and its elaboration in the form of courtyard houses were the basic module of Chinese architecture, there was a great deal of regional variation. Looking at the variation of house design can tell us a lot about climactic differences throughout China, as well as the different aspirations of people from different regions. Continue with Regional Variation.

There has also been a great deal of variation in interior design and the decorative elements used in houses. Move on to decorative elements in Chinese homes.

Move on to Interiors

25..b.. Rain Harvesting System Broadly rainwater can be harvested for two purposes

Storing rainwater for ready use in containers above or below ground Charged into the soil for withdrawal later (groundwater recharging)

Source: A Water Harvesting Manual For Urban Areas From where to harvest rain Rainwater harvesting can be harvested from the following surfaces

Rooftops: If buildings with impervious roofs are already in place, the catchment area is effectively available free of charge and they provide a supply at the point of consumption. Paved and unpaved areas i.e., landscapes, open fields, parks, stormwater drains, roads and pavements and other open areas can be effectively used to harvest the runoff. The main advantage in using ground as collecting surface is that water can be collected from a larger area. This is particularly advantageous in areas of low rainfall. Waterbodies: The potential of lakes, tanks and ponds to store rainwater is immense. The harvested rainwater can not only be used to meet water requirements of the city, it also recharges groundwater aquifers. Stormwater drains: Most of the residential colonies have proper network of stormwater drains. If maintained neatly, these offer a simple and cost effective means for harvesting rainwater. Whether to store rainwater or use it for recharge: The decision whether to store or recharge water depends on the rainfall pattern and the potential to do so, in a particular region. The sub-surface geology also plays an important role in making this decision. For example, Delhi, Rajasthan and Gujarat where the total annual rainfall occurs during 3 or 4 months, are examples of places where groundwater recharge is usually practiced. In places like Kerala, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu and Bangalore where rain falls throughout the year barring a few dry periods, one can depend on a small sized tank for storing rainwater, since the period between two spells of rain is short. Wherever sub-strata is impermeable recharging will not be feasible. Hence, it would be ideal to opt for storage.

Rainwater harvesting is the accumulating and storing, of rainwater for reuse, before it reaches the aquifer. It has been used to provide drinking water, water for livestock, water for irrigation, as well as other typical uses given to water. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses, tents and local institutions, can make an important contribution to the availability of drinking water.It can supplement the sub soil water level and decrease urban greenery. Water collected from the ground, sometimes from areas which are especially prepared for this purpose, is called Stormwater harvesting. In some cases, rainwater may be the only available, or economical, water source. Rainwater harvesting systems can be simple to construct from inexpensive local materials, and are potentially successful in most habitable locations. Roof rainwater can't be of good quality and may require treatment before consumption. As rainwater rushes from your roof it may carry pollutants in it such

as the tiniest bit of mercury from coal burning buildings to bird feces. Although some rooftop materials may produce rainwater that is harmful to human health, it can be useful in flushing toilets, washing clothes, watering the garden and washing cars; these uses alone halve the amount of water used by a typical home. Household rainfall catchment systems are appropriate in areas with an average rainfall greater than 200 mm (7.9 in) per year, and no other accessible water sources (Skinner and Cotton, 1992). Overflow from rainwater harvesting tank systems can be used to refill aquifers in a process called groundwater recharge, though this is a related process, it must not be confused with Rainwater harvesting.

25..c.Green arch.. green architecture, philosophy of architecture that advocates sustainable energy sources, the conservation of energy, the reuse and safety of building materials, and the siting of a building with consideration of its impact on the environment. In the early 21st century the building of shelter (in all its forms) consumed more than half of the worlds resourcestranslating into 16 percent of the Earths freshwater resources, 3040 percent of all energy supplies, and 50 percent by weight of all the raw materials withdrawn from Earths surface. Architecture was also responsible for 4050 percent of waste deposits in landfills and 2030 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Many architects after the post-World War II building boom were content to erect emblematic civic and corporate icons that celebrated profligate consumption and omnivorous globalization. At the turn of the 21st century, however, a buildings environmental integrityas seen in the way it was designed and how it operatedbecame an important factor in how it was evaluated

Definition: Green architecture, or green design, is an approach to building that minimizes harmful effects on human health and the environment. The "green" architect or designer attempts to safeguard air, water, and earth by choosing eco-friendly building materials and construction practices. Green architecture may have many of these characteristics:

Ventilation systems designed for efficient heating and cooling Energy-efficient lighting and appliances Water-saving plumbing fixtures Landscapes planned to maximize passive solar energy

Minimal harm to the natural habitat Alternate power sources such as solar power or wind power Non-synthetic, non-toxic materials Locally-obtained woods and stone Responsibly-harvested woods Adaptive reuse of older buildings Use of recycled architectural salvage Efficient use of space

While most green buildings do not have all of these features, the highest goal of green architecture is to be fully sustainable. Also Known As: Sustainable development, eco-design, eco-friendly architecture, earth-friendly architecture, environmental architecture, natural architecture Examples:

The Magney House: Energy-conserving home by Australian architect Glenn Murcutt LEAFHouse: A vine-covered solar house designed by students from the University of Maryland Katrina Cottage: Low-cost and energy-efficient emergency pre-fab housing Solar-Powered Victorian: A historic inn with high-tech photovoltaic panels Earth House: This home in Loreto Bay, Mexico is made with compressed earth blocks

Green Architecture

Build to Save Energy Build With Earth Green Building Links