Residential Space Organization of the Inner Mongolia Earth Dwellings around the Yellow River Basin

Abstract

The living spaces within vernacular dwellings undergo continuous adjustments in response to evolving lifestyles, society, and cultural shifts. Residents, guided by their understanding, integrate newly emerging functional spaces within the framework of traditional living environments. While appearing rough and A disorganized, this spontaneous and evolving arrangement of living spaces can reflect how residents incorporate contemporary lifestyles into the framework of traditional dwelling spaces. The research focuses on the traditional earth dwellings in the Inner Mongolia section of the Yellow River basin, aiming to explore the contemporary spatial organization within these local residences. The research uses typology to classify the plans and analysis as the spatial syntax theory to organizational characteristics of residential spaces. With the assistance of the Depthmap X software, Integration and Control Value parameters are computed. Combining the calculated results with the parameters’ meaning determines the following: (1) the plan organization is related to basic functional space types; (2) the stove, used for heating in functional spaces, serves as the center of the plan organization, and the basic functional spaces are typically arranged around this center; (3) both of these space types have extremely high Control Values over directly adjacent spaces and become the core spaces for daily living and activities. Researching the characteristics of local residential space organization and concretely showcasing local residential culture can provide a foundation for future construction that respects residents’ preferences and supports the sustainable development of local residential culture.