Research Article

Parametrising historical Chinese courtyarddwellings: An algorithmic design framework for the digital representation of Siheyuan iterations based on traditional design principles

  • Yuyang Wang ,
  • Asterios Agkathidis ,
  • Andrew Crompton
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  • School of Architecture, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom

Received date: 27 Mar 2020

Accepted date: 16 Jul 2020

Published date: 15 Dec 2020

Copyright

2020 2020 Higher Education Press Limited Company. Publishing Services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Abstract

Many Beijing Siheyuan, a type of Chinese vernacular housing with significant cultural value, have been lost in recent years. Preserving the few remaining has become a necessity, but many contemporary architects lack an understanding of their design principles. Based on a historical analysis deriving from Fengshui theory, the Gongcheng Zuofa Zeli ancient construction manual, and craftsmen’s experience, this paper describes a parametric algorithm capable of producing Siheyuan variants within a 4D CAD environment which by transforming the original design principles into an algorithm contributes to an understanding of Siheyuan typology and their preservation. This algorithm was implemented in a virtual scripting environment to generate accurate virtual counterparts of historical or extant Siheyuan houses revealing the tacit computational rules underlying traditional Chinese architecture.

Cite this article

Yuyang Wang , Asterios Agkathidis , Andrew Crompton . Parametrising historical Chinese courtyarddwellings: An algorithmic design framework for the digital representation of Siheyuan iterations based on traditional design principles[J]. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 2020 , 9(4) : 751 -773 . DOI: 10.1016/j.foar.2020.07.003

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