Research on the Spatial Form Configuration of Tibetan-style Courtyard Houses:A Case Study Based on Lintan County,Gannan Prefecture
AN Yuyuan
WU Fang
Abstract：Lintan County of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is located at the border between Han and Tibetan nationalities.It is a typical region where Han,Tibetan,Hui,and other ethnic groups integrate and coexist.Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties,the policy of garrisoning the border and reclaiming the land and the trade of tea and horses have attracted long-term settlements of multiple ethnic groups,thus forming a unique cultural community.As the mainstream residential form in this region,the folk house with a courtyard has a similar layout to Han's traditional folk house with a courtyard,but it shows flexible and diverse atypical spatial characteristics.Existing studies mainly focus on the form analysis from the perspective of a single ethnic group or architectural level,and there is a lack of systematic exploration of the differences in spatial configurations and internal logic in the context of multicultural integration,making it difficult to satisfy the practical needs of rural revitalization and the protection of traditional folk houses.
In this study,nine representative samples of traditional folk houses were selected:three samples of Han,Tibetan,and Hui nationalities,respectively.The time span started from the late Republic of China to the end of the 1990s.These samples involve various spatial types to guarantee diversity and typicality,including traditional folk houses in villages,folk houses worthy of cultural relic protection,and typical folk houses in multiethnic mixed villages.Based on the comprehensive application of the convex space model and the visual field model in spatial syntax theory,a systematic analysis was conducted by combining quantitative analysis and graphical translation.First,topological parameters such as the number of levels and the number of nodes were extracted by drawing a planar graph and transforming it into a J graph.Second,the connectivity and average depth were calculated using the convex space model to quantify the connectivity and accessibility characteristics of the functional space.Finally,a visual field model was constructed with Depthmap software to analyze visual focus distribution and spatial interaction patterns.The spatial organization logic of folk houses was analyzed from perspectives of structure,form,and vision.
Research results show that:(1)the geographical environment and economic level fundamentally influence the spatial configuration of folk houses.Compared with the folk houses with courtyards in the core area of Han culture,folk houses in Lintan County mainly have 4-6 levels and the average number of nodes is reduced to 17,making space more compact and efficient.Such simplification is functional optimization under an alpine climate,resource constraints,and practical needs.For example,the sunroom optimizes the light and heat preservation through transparent materials and open design,reflecting regional adaptability.(2)Ethnic cultural differences significantly shape the heterogeneous characteristics of spatial node configuration.Tibetan folk houses are centered on the courtyard and the Buddha Hall.The Buddha Hall serves both religious and social functions,and the living room has multiple functions with poor privacy.They show the emotional connection of the family.Folk houses of Hui nationality are centered on the courtyard and corridor.The corridor is highly connected,whereas the bedroom and bathroom emphasize privacy,integrating with worship functions.These reflect the order and purity of Islamic culture.Folk houses of Han nationality continue the courtyard and central room structure.Specifically,the central room is responsible for ancestor worship and reception,showing moderate space circulation and reflecting the etiquette culture.(3)Multicultural integration has given rise to the adaptive transmutation of spatial forms.The Tibetan folk house introduced the central room of Han's folk house and transformed it into a hallway to balance religion and ethics.Hui's folk house has learned the corridor layout of Han's folk house to balance public and private spaces.Han's folk house has absorbed the open courtyard of the Tibetan folk house to expand its functions.The sunroom and central room have become composite spaces used by various ethnic groups,both climate-adapted and carrying family interactions.They maintain the ethnic characteristics and promote spatial function integration and morphological diversity.
The spatial configurations of folk houses with courtyards in Lintan County are the collaborative results of natural constraints,cultural genes,and cross-cultural interactions.The topological simplification maps the optimization strategy of practical orientation,the node heterogeneity reflects the deep differences between ethnic cultures,and the morphological transmutation highlights the driving effect of multiple symbioses on architectural innovation.The study not only provides a new perspective for analyzing the spatial characteristics of multiethnic folk houses in the boundary regions of Tibetan nationality but also lays a theoretical foundation for protecting traditional folk houses and the adaptive development of regional architecture.In future,samples can be expanded to more boundary regions of Tibetan nationality to deepen the understanding of the universality of cultural integration mechanisms.
Keywords：folk houses with courtyardspatial formspace syntaxHan-Tibet-Hui
Publication Date：2025-06-30
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：10( 50-59 )