Heritage values of ancient vernacular residences in traditional villages in Western Hunan, China: Spatial patterns and influencing factors

• Published in: Building and environment 2021-01, Vol.188, p.107473, Article 107473
• Main Authors: Fu, Jing, Zhou, Jialu, Deng, Yunyuan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Construction; Cultural heritage; Cultural resources; Entropy; Integral preservation; Quality; Rural areas; Spatial pattern; Tangible cultural heritage; Traditional village; Value grading; Vernacular architecture; Villages
• ISSN: 0360-1323; 1873-684X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.107473

Traditional residences are among the most important tangible cultural heritage. This paper evaluates and explores the quality of individual traditional residences and the heritage value of a complex of traditional residences in Western Hunan in China. The former indicates how well the external characteristics of the building are preserved, whilst the latter refers to the integration of use values, ecology principles and cultural features. Based on the survey of the selected 7 traditional villages, the authors have built a spatial database of these villages on the strength of GIS, RS and GPS techniques, and employed an architectural evaluation method to grade the exterior quality of individual traditional residences, followed by the construction of an evaluation indicator system and the use of entropy weight method to score the value of traditional residences, thereby systematically unveiling how indicators influence the value of traditional residences. The results reveal that well-preserved and prime-quality traditional residences are quite rare. Average-quality individual traditional residences outnumber other quality levels in all selected traditional villages. These villages differ in the value of their traditional residences, which is susceptible to both natural and cultural factors. Architectural elements play a dominant role, and the change in architectural form serves as an important criterion for determining whether the traditional residence in question has been transformed into a modern building. The value of traditional rural residences is mainly reflected in the authenticity of the architectural form and the building material, which are crucial to the intact pass-down of their unique architectural styles. •Traditional residences were systematically investigated based on GIS, RS and GPS.•The quality of individual traditional rural residences was quantified and analyzed.•Well-preserved and prime-quality traditional residences are quite rare.•The entropy weight method was used to estimate the value of traditional residences.•The influencing factors of the value of traditional residences were unveiled.