Body-based units of measurement for building Katu community houses in Central Vietnam

Abstract

The traditional community house named “Guol” is a unique architecture of Katu ethnic minorities living in mountainous areas of central Vietnam. The reconstruction project of the Katu community house exemplifies that vernacular architecture is constructed using matured and conserved local resources such as natural, human and intellectual resources. As an intellectual resource, body-based units of measurement are an important part of building knowledge and techniques. This research is consequential for disclosing the intangible local resources of the classification and application of units to understand the nature of vernacular architecture. Research in three communes revealed that the Katu people use 17 types of basic body-based units of measurement for design and construction. Combinations of arm-based units develop building forms with timber structures and combinations of hand-based units determine the sizes of the main building materials. the locality: natural resources (building materials), human resources (community cooperation) and intellectual resources (knowledge and technique). The traditional community house in the Hong Ha Commune appeared to be spiritually important for the villagers. Because they still utilize it in the modern context, these three resources should be maintained. However, in recent years, the limitation of forest resources, changes in life style and housing style, and other related issues render this preservation difficult. 1.2 Role of human body for design