Beijing Hutong Conservation Plan - Tibet Heritage Fund

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16 2.4 Residential buildings The traditional residential building of old Beijing is the Si-He-Yuan, or courtyard house, consisting of low buildings grouped around one or several central courtyards. In the Si-He-Yuan house, the main building (Zheng Fang) is preferably located on the northern side of the courtyard facing south, with two sub rooms to either side (Er Fang). On the Western and Eastern sides are the Xiang Fang. The south side comprises a building facing the street (Dao Zuo Fang) and a shadow wall (Yin Bi). The courtyard is accessed through a main gate at the southern end, and often there is a back door on the northern side. Generally, the main residential buildings are south-facing, designed to block the fierce northern winds but allowing sunlight to shine into the main rooms. This design is well-suited to Beijing’s climate. A major attraction of the courtyard house is its secluded and peaceful atmosphere, affording a degree of privacy and calm within the city’s bustle. The ambience of the courtyard house is closely tied to the traditional lifestyle of China’s urban families. Gate decoration ditail Gate Yin Bi (shadow wall) Men dunr (stone corving) Zheng Fang (main building)
Si-He-Yuan buildings are timber framed, with brick walls and tiled roofs. The reddish colours of the painted timber beams pillars and pillars contrast with the grey bricks and tiles, creating the distinct Beijing Hutong combination. Si-He-Yuan were subject to strict restrictions on height, design, colour and decoration in imperial times. The restrictions were graded according to the status of the owner. The limitations included rules on the colour and style of roof tiles, the colour of the outside walls and the decoration of the main gate. Within the inner city walls, before 1911, no residential building of more than one storey was permitted. It was considered unthinkable that ordinary beings should have houses taller than the walls of the Forbidden City. 2.5 Courtyard houses in modern times The Si-He-Yuan were originally designed and built to house one family, but since the 1950s many were converted to house several families as tenants. With the limitations of space and infrastructure within a Si-He -Yuan, the standard of living is not compatible with that of modern apartment flats. Yet many residents appreciate the living environment and quality of old Beijing, even if shared with three or four other families. The central location is convenient for work, schools and shops. If all the inner city Hutong residents were resettled beyond the fourth ring road, Beijing’s traffic and transportation systems would collapse. Many Beijing residents also say that living on the ground floor is more healthy, since they remain in close connection with the Earth’s energy. The Si-He- Yuan lifestyle has a long and ancient tradition, and is widely regarded as an essential element of Chinese culture. Courtyard house section -Xian Ming Hutong NO.4- drawing by Liang Ya Qing A courtyard house shared by sevral families, extentional buildings coverd original open space. 17
Page 1 and 2: -Beijing Hutong Conservation Plan-
Page 3: Preface At present, the pre-eminent
Page 6 and 7: Beijing Hutong Conservation Plan: T
Page 8 and 9: 8 2. Beijing Historic Inner City Ov
Page 10 and 11: 10 2.3 Urban structure This princi
Page 12 and 13: Hutong A ‘Hutong’ is a narrow l
Page 14 and 15: 14 Area feature Despite a certain u
Page 18 and 19: 3.Present state of the old city 18
Page 20 and 21: 20 3.2 Dangers to the old city 3.2.
Page 22 and 23: 22 Unfortunately, the implementatio
Page 24: 24 3.4 Present condition of remaini
Page 27 and 28: Housing Management The Housing Depa
Page 29 and 30: Zhong-Gulou area (Bell and Drum tow
Page 31 and 32: Chaodou Hutong area Chaodou Hutong
Page 33 and 34: 4.3 Survey results and analysis a)
Page 35 and 36: ) Building condition b-1. Condition
Page 37 and 38: Sewage We witnessed new sewage pipe
Page 39 and 40: Living space improvement Since most
Page 41 and 42: c) Understanding the Hutong communi
Page 43 and 44: Therefore transportation within the
Page 45 and 46: d) Residents’ opinions regarding
Page 47 and 48: One of the survey areas, the Yandai
Page 49 and 50: 5. Pilot project plan for rehabilit
Page 51 and 52: 5.2.2 Population and owner ship No.
Page 53 and 54: 5.2.4 Present facilities Most famil
Page 55 and 56: 5.4 Proposed plan for rehabilitatio
Page 57 and 58: 5.4.3 Population adjustment within
Page 59 and 60: 6. Applying the project on a wider
Page 61 and 62: 7. Conclusion Beijing is rightfully
Page 63: Xu Cheng Bei Foreign Language Press

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