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Multi-Level Housing Governance in Rural Settlement Lin & Jia

Wang Yun used quantitative methods to [26-27] . Following the sequence from macro to
convert the traditional settlement space microscope, the six levels are the regional
composition into a mathematical model to level, settlement level, sub-settlement level,
explore the settlement structure based on the neighborhood level, building fabric level, and
relationship between the data [20] . Wang infill level.
Yanhui combined qualitative and quantitative There is a hierarchy among the six levels.
methods to sort out the morphological The first three levels are settlement levels, and
characteristics and evolution rules of rural the last three are building levels. In this paper,
settlements in southern Jiangsu, and to only the last three levels of buildings are
explore the dynamic mechanism between studied for a precise discussion on housing
social and economic development and rural transformation. The neighborhood level
spatial form changes [21] . studies the boundary and spatial relations of
building groups; the building fabric level
2. METHODOLOGY studies the form, structure, and functional
2.1 A multi-level analytical framework spaces of the building; the infill level studies
A multi-layered analytical framework is used the configuration of partitioning, furniture,
to disintegrate the village’s transformation and equipment inside the building.
during different periods. The methodology By taking the multilevel approach, a
used in this paper is based on the Open synthesized result can be concluded that
Building Theory, which helps to articulate enhances our understanding of the rural built
different functions of various architectural environment thoroughly, on what had
elements and the corresponding design occurred, is occurring, and even is going to
strategies by setting up different analysis happen in the vast area of rural China.
levels. In the 1960s, John Habraken defined a
whole building entity into two levels, which 2.2 Research cases
are structure and infill. The stratification Xiaqiao is a village located in southern
method came into the analysis of production Zhejiang province, the mountainous area
of urban space in the 1990s [22] . According to adjacent to Fujian province [Figure 1]. In this
this theory, the built environment is divided paper, two vernacular houses with traditional
into several inter-influencing levels based on forms in Xiaqiao Village, the Old Tang House
the following hierarchy: conurbation, (OTH) and the Sishuishanzhuang Chen
architecture, indoor space, and infill. There is House (SSCH), were selected as comparative
a relationship between a higher level and a case studies, in order to explore the
lower one, in that the former provides a transformations of these houses and the
setting for the latter. By separating into governance controlling them.
different levels, a more flexible content can be The spheres of their influences are
provided. The multi-layered analysis distinct during different socio-economic
framework has also been used in urban periods. This paper attempts to explain the
morphology theory. Conzen developed a dynamic process of transformation happening
method [23] to analyze the urban environment in the rural built environment of China in
into three levels, street, block, and building recent 400 years. It contains four socio-
[24-25] . economic periods representing the different
Due to the advantages on articulating development stages that are the Qing dynasty
different built elements specifically, an (1616‒1911), the Republican China (1912‒
analysis is conducted with reference to six 1948), the Planned Economy PRC (1949‒
levels in order to clarify how the settlement 1977), and the Market Economy PRC (1978‒
and dwellings were transformed and 2016). The transformation of the whole
controlled by different governance methods settlement provides the context to understand
during different socio-political periods, the transformations of the two houses [Figure
according to different scales of observation 2].

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