China S Old Dwellings

China's Old Dwellings is the most comprehensive critical examination of China's folk architectural forms in any language. It and its companion volume, China's Living Houses: Folk Beliefs, Symbols, and Household Ornamentation (UH Press, 1999), together form a landmark study of the environmental, historical, and social factors that influence housing forms for nearly a quarter of the world's population. Both books draw on the author's thirty years of fieldwork and extensive travel in China as well as published and unpublished material in many languages. China's Old Dwellings begins by tracing the interest in Chinese vernacular buildings in the twentieth century. Early chapters detail common and distinctive spatial components, including the interior and exterior modular spaces that are axiomatic components of most Chinese dwellings as well as conventional structural components and building materials common in Chinese construction. Later chapters examine representative housing types in the three broad cultural realms--northern, southern, and western--into which China has been divided. Knapp completes his survey with an exploration of China's old dwellings in the context of the rapid economic and social changes that are destroying so many of them.

Winner of ForeWord Magazine's Architecture "Book of the Year" Award! Exquisite examples of traditional dwellings are scattered throughout modern-day China. Chinese Houses focuses on 20 well-preserved traditional Chinese homes, presenting examples from a range of rural and metropolitan areas throughout China. The photographs of each are accompanied by extensive background information and historical content. An introductory essay examines the different types of Chinese homes and provides an overview of the rich regional variety of Chinese dwelling forms. It also provides insights into little-known design concepts that emphasize the flexibility, adaptability, and versatility of traditional building forms and the work of traditional craftsmen. Richly illustrated with photographs, woodblock prints, historic images, and line drawings, Chinese Houses portrays an architectural tradition of amazing range and resilience.

The sophistication of Ancient Chinese Architecture gives it a special place within the architecture of the world. There are magnificant imperial palaces, solemn and breathtaking imperial tombs, mysterious sacrificial and ancestral altars and temples as well as a variety of vernacular dwellings of natural simplicity. Religious buildings are dotted about the country, with a riotous profusion of Buddhist, Taoist and Islamic temples or mosques. On top of all this, city walls and fortifications, civic buildings for miscellaneous purposes are rich in variety and form impressive landmarks. A fascinating tour of the architectural and artistic highlights of China’s rich cultural heritage in 10 volumes.

Knapp (geography, SUNY) continues the work of his previous books by examining the distinctive characteristics of the common house in Zhejing province. Over 300 original photographs illustrate his discussion of construction techniques, the organization of space, settlement patterns, the expression of

"Vernacular Dwellings" traces the evolution of Chinese dwellings, from early nomadic cave dwellings to the classic courtyard house. He also discusses the techniques and materials used to construct traditional dwellings, from early mixed clay and wood construction, to the brick and concrete used in the modern era. The layouts of towns and villages are also explored in terms of feng shui, including the position of towns, the configuration of streets, and the placement of squares. "Vernacular Dwellings" includes 121 color photographs, 86 illustrations and figures, and 2 maps, illustrating, province by province, the vernacular dwelling characteristics of different areas of China, and showing the beauty created by Chinese artists and architects.

An historic look at housing in China. Illus. 24p. 8-12 yrs.

It has been said that for the Chinese "a house is a living symbol," one endowed with meaning and the result of conscious action. China's Living Houses is the first book in any language to explore comprehensively the extraordinarily complex links among folk beliefs and household ornamentation across time, space, and social class. Well-written and copiously illustrated, it reveals dwellings as dynamic entities that express the vitality of Chinese families as each journeys through life.

The sophistication of Ancient Chinese Architecture gives it a special place within the architecture of the world. There are magnificant imperial palaces, solemn and breathtaking imperial tombs, mysterious sacrificial and ancestral altars and temples as well as a variety of vernacular dwellings of natural simplicity. Religious buildings are dotted about the country, with a riotous profusion of Buddhist, Taoist and Islamic temples or mosques. On top of all this, city walls and fortifications, civic buildings for miscellaneous purposes are rich in variety and form impressive landmarks. A fascinating tour of the architectural and artistic highlights of China’s rich cultural heritage in 10 volumes.