Parametrising historical Chinese courtyard-dwellings:An algorithmic design framework for the digital representation of Siheyuan iterations based on traditional design principles

Many Beijing Siheyuan,a type of Chinese vernacular housing with significant cultural value,have been lost in recent years.Preserving the few remaining has become a necessity,but many contemporary architects lack an understanding of their design principles.Based on a historical analysis deriving from Fengshui theory,the Gongchens Zuofa Zeli ancient construction manual,and craftsmen's experience,this paper describes a parametric algorithm capable of producing Siheyuan variants within a 4D CAD environment which by transforming the original design principles into an algorithm contributes to an understanding of Siheyuan typology and their preservation.This algorithm was implemented in a virtual scripting environment to generate accurate virtual counterparts of historical orextant Siheyuan houses revealing the tacit computational rules underlying traditional Chinese architecture.