The grammar of Taiwanese traditional vernacular dwellings

A shape grammar, which can exemplify and visually explain the style of Taiwanese traditional vernacular dwellings, is presented in the form of rules of composition that are derived from considerations of traditional processes of design and construction, and from cultural influences. Taiwanese traditional architecture Taiwanese architecture is a branch of Chinese architecture with distinct peculiarities of its own. The late architectural historian, Professor Ssu-ch'eng Liang (1901 -1972), has characterized Chinese architecture compositionally as having three main parts: the raised platform, body, and roof (Liang, 1984). Socially and technologically, building designs were regulated by laws that were established by the various Chinese dynasties. The two most famous construction laws (or 'grammar books') in Chinese traditional architecture, Ying-zdo fa-shi^ (Building Standards, 1103 AD) of the Song dynasty and Gong-bu gong-cheng zuo-fd ze-li (Structural Regulations, 1734 AD) of the Qing dynasty, specify intricate details for the raised platform, body, eaves brackets {Dou-gong), and roof of a building. Most Chinese traditional architecture was built according to the laws of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911 AD). Zhi-shi (or fd-shi, 'regulation style'), in general, refers to these two grammar books. There are three basic ways of classifying any particular style of Chinese architecture: by people, by building type, and by construction type. For example, Taiwan is a typical immigrant society; each immigrant group had its own architectural style that was very similar to the architecture of original place from which the group had emigrated. In Taiwan, most Han immigrants—including the Min-ndn and Ke-jid— came from the southeastern part of mainland China, chiefly from the provinces of Fukien (Fu-jidn) and Kwangtung (Gudng-dong). Because the different Han people shared much the same culture, there is greater similarity between their architecture, which collectively can be regarded as representative of the Southern style. Taiwanese traditional architecture remains among best preserved examples of extant buildings of this Southern style. In this paper, we explore the form of Taiwanese traditional vernacular dwellings. There were a number of factors that influenced Taiwanese traditional design of which site was perhaps the most important. Figure 1, taken from Kwan (1989), (1) The phonetic spellings for Chinese words in the paper are from Learner's Chinese English Dictionary (8th edition) and correspond to the Pinyin system. < The importance of site in Chinese architecture cannot be gainsaid. The Chinese believed that it was important to maintain balance and harmony between a building and its surroundings. The topographical features of the site were essential to the geomancer, for example, in his calculations on the orientation and the dimensional determinants of a building. See Chiou and Krishnamurti (1995) [footnotes (24) and (26)]. The Chinese likened the structure of a house to the human form. The proper siting of a house was considered analogous to the design of an ergonomically 'comfortable' chair. 690 S-C Chiou, R Krishnamurti illustrates site plans for Taiwanese traditional dwellings. It appears that site plans were developed by repetitions of massing elements. The basic rule appears to be to add a complete enclosure-courtyard at a time. One of the pursuits of architectural history and criticism is the identification of the shared features that distinguish buildings designed in a particular fashion, or by a particular architect from other buildings. In this respect, shape grammars as rules of composition that underlie a building have been advocated as an approach (Flemming, 1987a, pages 247-248). Shape grammars have their origins in the formal basis of natural language or phrase-structure grammars, as higher level abstractions for the description and representation of spatial reality. Architectural design contexts are often described in terms such as program (brief), vocabulary, relationships, and rules. The idea that