Page 122 - JCAU-6-3

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Sustainability of courtyard building

sunshade of the window utilizes wood carving technology, Space syntax was used to quantitatively evaluate the
with symmetrical and rotating patterns, as well as text, spatial organization of the Flag Stall courtyard building. As
such as the Chinese in Figure 20, which means “luck.” shown in Figure 21, this courtyard is open to the sky and
These decorative contents may represent the wishes of the contains trees and potted plants planted by the previous
builder or the first owner. The courtyard gate has a strict owner. Therefore, this courtyard can be considered both
hierarchy, reflected in its style, scale, roof, and decorations. an outdoor area and a semi-public space shared by the
In the hierarchical feudal society, the decorative paintings residents of the six rooms. However, it is also an integral
of the house and its gate represented the social status of the part of the building. Depending on these perspectives,
owner (Yang, 2016). different results can be obtained using space syntax
analysis.
5.8. Theory: Spatial configuration, topology, and
ambiance AutoCAD was used to translate the plan into a convex
space map, and DepthmapX software was applied for
The architectural ambiance here focuses mainly on spatial topological depth analysis (Figure 22). The depth value
organization and the atmosphere created by materials, such of the courtyard is 23, indicating the highest accessibility,
as luminance, thermal comfort, ventilating, air quality, which is reasonable for a public open space. As shown in
temperature, and sound have been evaluated in previous Figure 23, when the courtyard is regarded as an outdoor
sections.
area, the depth of rooms 1 – 6 is reduced from the third
depth level to the second depth level. From an outsider’s
perspective, these rooms have low accessibility. From the
occupant’s point of view, their living rooms are connected
to the outside area. The courtyard allows these rooms
to remain open to the outdoor areas while maintaining
privacy. Maintaining privacy, as a unique Chinese

Figure 18. Axisymmetric schematic plan view. Source: Drawing by
Chuan He

Figure 20. Murals and reliefs. Source: Photos by Chuan He

Figure 19. Golden ratio observed in the building. Source: Drawing by
Chuan He Figure 21. Courtyard. Source: Photos by Chuan He

Volume 6 Issue 3 (2024) 14 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.3187