Traditional vernacular houses in China - Yaodong

LOCATION AND DETAILS:

- North region of China, mostly in the Loess Plateau.

- The Loess Plateau has a complicated topography with valleys, slopes and ridges.

- Yaodong is a kind of cave dwellings that is found along the Loess Plateau, namely at provinces like Shanzi, Gansu, and Henan

- Therefore, to counter the harsh environmental condition, the Yaodong has developed three different forms which are the Cliffside Yaodong (Chinese Terms: 靠崖窑), Sunken Yaodong (Chinese Terms: 地坑窑) and Hoop Yaodong (Chinese Terms: 箍 窑).

- The records of Yaodong can be dated back to China’s bronze age in the 2nd millennium BC and the Xia Dynasty according to Chinese traditions.

- The most common type of Yaodong is the Cliffside Yaodong which is built along the edge of the cliff and valley to fit dwellings into the mountainous landscape.

TRADITIONAL HOUSES OF THE TRIBE :

- SHAPE : rectangular

- CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS:

1. WALLS : Soil , Rocks , Clay

2. ROOFS : Clay tiles

ABOUT THE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE FEATURES

:

- Also known as the “House Cave”, the Yaodong is a form of earth shelter residence.

- The locals form a concave hole with a rectangular floor area with an arched ceiling at the edge of the cliff.

- The cave has an open space in front to allow good sunlight and air movement to create a more comfortable housing experience by preventing residents from feeling depressed or claustrophobic.

- It is a house where people dig caves or pits and build walls around it.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE :

- The traditional construction process of the Yaodong is to use rocks as the wall base and have the top tile made using clay.

- The wall is later finished with clay on the inside and stone on the outside to strengthen the dwelling and reduce the cost of constructing the cave.

- The interior spaces of the cave are supported by wooden piles.

- To further prevent the cave from collapsing, beams and columns are used to bear the loads too.

CLIMATIC CONDITIONS :

- Yaodongs were built to overcome the geographical challenges faced by citizens, as cliffs, slopes, and ridges are common in the area.

- These cave dwellings also serve as natural barriers and are adaptive to climate change. For instance, they are both rain and fireproof.

- On top of that, Yaodongs keep warmth in winter cold and enhance ventilation during the summer heat.