Page 30 - JCAU-5-2

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Style evolution rules of Tibetan dwellings

5. Discussion and conclusions still returning to the traditional type. This is reflected
in the fact that with the changes in production and
5.1. Discussion lifestyle, the plan form has evolved from traditional
From the perspective of architectural typology, this study rectangular shapes to L-shape, T-shape, and U-shape
revealed the evolution pattern of Tibetan dwellings in the through horizontal and vertical extensions or
Tibetan area of Amdo, taking Jiuzhaigou Tibetan dwellings additions. Functionally, the production function of
as a case study through field research, literature review, the ground floor has disappeared; the first-floor outer
index calculation, and other research methods, it explained corridor has been formed, and the sun terrace has
the reasons for this pattern. disappeared; storage space has been reduced from

In the theoretical part of the study, it was found that 28.1 percent to 1.8 percent; and the proportion of
the dwelling prototype used in the paper is consistent living space has increased from 20 percent to over
with the findings of Li et al. (2022), who pointed out 90 percent. This is mainly related to the change in
that “the dwelling architecture in the Tibetan area of production and lifestyle brought about by the rural
Amdo combines the characteristics of Tibetan towers and revitalization policy. In the past, the Tibetans in
Chinese pierced wooden frames.” At the same time, Wang Amdo lived by the traditional primary industry, so the
et al. (2019) and Lu (2017) have integrated the architectural living space placed more emphasis on the production
and morphological elements of traditional dwellings into function, but now there is a complete conversion
the three elements of architectural plan, structure, and from traditional primary industry to tertiary industry,
construction and have conducted an empirical study to stimulating a focus on the comfort of living space.
confirm the scientific validity of this classification. (2) Traditional dwelling structures in the Amdo Tibetan
area have been influenced by modern architecture, with
Meanwhile, compared to previous qualitative studies
(Wang, 2015; Ke, 2015; Guo, 2016; Chen, 2017), this a structural selection giving priority to economy, space
size, and safety performance, and the use of traditional
study constructed a quantitative analysis framework, and structures is gradually decreasing, as evidenced by the
the findings are more objective and scientific, which can
effectively bridge the development of subsequent design evolution of traditional Tibetan dwelling “rammed
practices. earthen wall with crumbling hollow” into the Han
Chinese through-drawer and beam-beam styles,
Finally, in addition to abstracting buildings into or a mixture of both. This is consistent with Li et al.
different symbols as most architectural typology studies do (2022)’s finding that “the architecture of dwellings in
(Xin, 2020; Li & Wang, 2015; Xiang, 2019; Zhang, 2016; the Tibetan area of Amdo has the characteristics of
Yuan et al., 2022; Meng & Luo, 2016; Zhu et al., 2016), both Tibetan towers and Han-style pierced wooden
this study also focused on the environment in which frames,” but the new dwellings are mostly of reinforced
the buildings are located, which includes the natural, concrete frame construction; the total openings and
policy, and human environments. While Guo (2016) depths tended to increase, and dwellings with more
argued that the adaptability of dwellings in the Tibetan than 3 stories began to appear, with the height of each
areas of Amdo is reflected in the choice of economic and story increasing. This is directly related to the current
technological development, new needs brought about policy of restricting timber harvesting in the Tibetan
by changes in living patterns, and the role of integration areas of Amdo. If Tibetans need to reuse traditional
with foreign cultures. This study found that due to the timber construction materials, they need to transport
specificity of the geographical environment, changes in them from distant cities into the Tibetan areas, which
management policies brought about by environmental will result in a higher cost; therefore, most Tibetans
changes such as earthquakes can also have an impact on choose to buy modern materials from the building
the style of dwellings; the “prototype-variant” comparison material markets closer to the Tibetan villages.
further revealed the dominant role of policy change in the (3) The architectural structure of the Tibetan area of
evolution of the landscape. Amdo reflects the cultural consciousness of the owners
5.2. Conclusions of the dwelling themselves and is more selective, with
individual differences gradually becoming apparent
In summary, the study yields the following conclusions: compared to the traditional plain style, as shown by the
(1) In the evolution of the building plan in the Tibetan following. At the level of the transparent envelope, the
area of Amdo, the plan forms have become more window area on the façade of the residential buildings
flexible, and the functional space types have become has increased from 0.6 percent in traditional type to
increasingly rich, but on the whole, building plans are 23.5 percent in the modern type, and the window

Volume 5 Issue 2 (2023) 13 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.0880