SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN

FOUNDATION IN NATURAL & BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Full Name: HWANG WEI LI

Student ID: 0319756

Module: Effective Public Communication

Session: September, 2014

Submission date: 19 January 2015

INDIVIDUAL ORAL PRESENTATION PART A – TRADITIONAL HOUSES AROUND

THE WORLD

Historical Background of:a)Yongding County

Name given during Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D )

Means peace forever

Famous for its beautiful landscape

Location: Yongding County, Longyan City,

Southwest of Fujian Province

b)Hakka Earthen Building / “Hakka Tulou”

A kind of large scale residential background building

which uses rammed earth as the main structure

Giant Community house, Oriental Castle

Built from 12th century to 20th century

Built by Chinese Hakka people

Hakka: guest, non-locals

To provide a secure home for the entire clan to live in after

escaped from the war in Central Plains

As defence function, avoid from wild animals & bandits

Use the income from selling smoking tobaccos to build the building

20 types of construction forms, most common are round and square-shaped

3 types of sizes:

Types SMALL MEDIUM BIG

Height of building 2-3 3-4 4-5

Number of ring Single Single / double Three

Number of rooms 21-28 30-40 42-58

STRUCTURE AND LAYOUTa)Structure

Why Round Earthen Building is the most common type:

Has larger interior space

Better at preventing Malignant influences(wind

from mountain, affects people’s health)

Housing layout: community of equals

Wall: first section of wall: clockwise or anticlockwise direction.

After 1 circuit of wall, reversed the direction. Circuit by circuit, directions

continued to rotate.

b) Characteristics of buildings

• only one gate leading into building (safety)

• Exterior: military fortresses Interior: solid apartment

• thick rammed earth:

ordinary bullets, cannonballs can’t penetrate

Warm in winter, cool in summer

• Outer building is earth, inner building is wood

ROUND BUILDING WITHIN THE ROUND BUILDING

b)Layout

1st floor

2nd floor

3rd floor

4th floor

Kitchen, dining room;

Hall, ancestral temple

Grains & farm

tools storage

Bedrooms

Bedrooms

All rooms are

identical

which

indicates

equality.

Ancestral hall / temple:

worship ancestors, discuss businessHuge central courtyard,(all door &

windows facing it),

Wells in interior

An open round hallway

with 4 staircases to

move from 1st to 4th

floor

Most round earthen

Buildings are 3 to 4 rings

With 3 to 4 floors.

TYPES OF ORNAMENTATION USED

Red lanterns hang around in & out of

building, couplets on the columns

Main entrance:

Name of building carved and hang on the wall

“Bagua” mirror hang on top of the Name

Board

Couplets on both sides

TYPE OF MATERIALS USEDa)Rammed Earth Walls

Rammed Earth technique: mixtures of earth that is damp enough

to hold together &last for several hundred years.

b)Parts of the buildings

Dark roof tiles were used,

Special for Hakka Earthen Building

Window panels made using wood,

All except 1st floor without windows

facing outside

Iron sheets: for door knockers, locks, reinforcement for doors,

Wrapping up the main wooden gate(Bullets can’t penetrate easily)

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

a) The Biggest Earthern Building:: ChengQi Lou

Location: Gaobei Village, Gaotou town,

Yongding

Built in year 1709, over 300 years history

King of Round Earth Building: the largest scale

of earthen building

4storeys , 4 circular rings, 400 rooms

b)UNESCO

o Become one of the World Heritage Sites, July 2008

o Total of 46 sites chosen include:

3 clusters: Chuxi, Hongkeng, Gaobei villages

2 towers: Zhenfu, Yanxiang towers

Reference: China Highlights, 2014. Yongding Hakka Roundhouses. [online]. Available at: <

http://www.chinahighlights.com/yongding/attraction/yongding-hakka-roundhouses.htm > [Accessed 14

January 2015]

• Travel China Guide.com. Earth towers of the Hakkas. [online]. Available at: <

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/fujian/fuzhou/earth_tower.htm > [Accessed 15 January 2015]

• Cultural China. Hakka Tulou Houses of Yongding County. [online]. Available at: < http://www.cultural-

china.com/chinaWH/html/en/18Traditions85.html > [Accessed 14 January 2015]

• Hakka Tulou. History and Evolution. [online]. Available at: <

http://www.amazingfujiantulou.com/history_evolution.html > [Accessed 16 January 2015]

• Hakka Tulou. Overview. [online]. Available at: < http://www.amazingfujiantulou.com/overview.html >

[Accessed 16 January 2015]

• Hakka Tulou. How a Tulou was created. [online]. Available at:

< http://www.amazingfujiantulou.com/how_a_tulou_was_constructed.html > [Accessed 16 January 2015]

• Hakka Tulou. Unique Hakka Architecture . [online]. Available at: <

http://www.amazingfujiantulou.com/unique_hakka_architecture.html > [Accessed 16 January 2015]