The Outdoor Space Configuration and Orientation Study of Traditional Farmhouses Surrounded by Bamboo Enclosures on the Lan-Yang Plain

Abstract

The traditional farmhouse, surrounded by a bamboo enclosure is an important cultural feature of the landscape on the Lan-yang Plain. As traditional farmhouses surrounded by bamboo enclosures are gradually disappearing due to social and economic change in Taiwan, we resorted to using in-the-field surveys and analysis of aerial photographs as tools to explore the configuration and orientations of traditional farmhouse buildings and their enclosures. Our findings are to serve as reference for the promotion of future conservation and restoration projects. Our study found three components typical to the outdoor space arrangement of farmhouses surrounded by bamboo enclosures: a bamboo enclosure area that completely encloses the property, a main courtyard area and a side/backyard area. The most common orientation of the bamboo enclosure was with the opening to the enclosure facing southwest and the rear facing northeast, protecting the building and space from the colder northeastern winds and rains. It is the combination of climate conditions, agricultural activities and the farming life-style that created this unique configuration of building and bamboo buffer that is visible throughout the Lan-Yang Plain.