Search Results (9)

This paper presents a comparative study of the spatial characteristics of academies in China and Korea, focusing on BaiLuDong Academy in China and Tosan Academy in Korea. It examines the cultural philosophies and practical differences in the spatial expression of Confucianism between the two countries. BaiLuDong Academy embodies the Confucian ideals of simplicity and solemnity through its modest architectural style and rigorous spatial organization. The integration of mountain–water siting with enclosed courtyard arrangements reflects the Confucian scholar’s pursuit of self-cultivation and social order. In contrast, Tosan Academy, while grounded in Zhu Xi’s Neo-Confucian teachings, incorporates local architectural traditions to form a more open and flexible spatial configuration. Its emphasis on harmony with the natural environment represents a localized reinterpretation of Confucian values. As a spatial embodiment of ideology, the academy serves as a medium through which Confucian values are materialized in architectural form. The spatial characteristics of Chinese and Korean academies reveal the adaptability and evolution of Confucian thought across different cultural contexts. Full article

In the contemporary era, where digital audio-visual media continues to evolve, the media landscape is increasingly converging with the urban landscape. This trend has made the importance of urban waterfront areas in city landscapes more pronounced. The evaluation method for the skyline of architectural groups has evolved from a subjective approach to a quantitative one. In recent years, the box-counting dimension method based on fractal theory has been widely used for this evaluation. According to this theory, the higher the fractal dimension value, the “more complex” the skyline, and the greater people’s preference for it. However, this evaluation method has certain limitations. In particular, “suddenly rising” tall buildings can raise the local fractal dimension value, yet they may disrupt the rhythm of the skyline. This paper attempts to introduce the Least-squares method to mark the vertical and horizontal axis values of the skyline of architectural groups, fit curves based on these values, and then compare the fitted curves with the actual skyline. This approach aims to improve the evaluation of “suddenly rising” buildings. By doing so, it supplements and optimizes traditional quantitative analysis solely based on fractal theory. Furthermore, the method is validated through a case study of the Qingdao (Shandong Province, China) Fushan Bay waterfront architectural group. Through this method, it is possible to more objectively identify buildings that “suddenly rise” in the skyline, improve the evaluation of the skyline based solely on complexity, and further extend the curve-fitting results into an evaluation of rhythm. Through multi-dimensional evaluation, this approach can effectively guide urban development. Full article

The coastal zone is abundant in natural resources but has become increasingly fragile in recent years due to climate change and extensive, improper exploitation. Accurate land use and land cover (LULC) mapping of coastal zones using remotely sensed data is crucial for monitoring environmental changes. Traditional classification methods based on statistical learning require significant spectral differences between ground objects. However, state-of-the-art end-to-end deep learning methods can extract advanced features from remotely sensed data. In this study, we employed ResNet50 as the feature extraction network within the U-Net architecture to achieve accurate classification of coastal areas and assess the model’s performance. Experiments were conducted using Gaofen-2 (GF-2) high-resolution remote sensing data from Shuangyue Bay, a typical coastal area in Guangdong Province. We compared the classification results with those obtained from two popular deep learning models, SegNet and DeepLab v3+, as well as two advanced statistical learning models, Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF). Additionally, this study further explored the significance of Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) texture features, Histogram Contrast (HC) features, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) features in the classification of coastal areas. The research findings indicated that under complex ground conditions, the U-Net model achieved the highest overall accuracy of 86.32% using only spectral channels from GF-2 remotely sensed data. When incorporating multiple features, including spectrum, texture, contrast, and vegetation index, the classification accuracy of the U-Net algorithm significantly improved to 93.65%. The major contributions of this study are twofold: (1) it demonstrates the advantages of deep learning approaches, particularly the U-Net model, for LULC classification in coastal zones using high-resolution remote sensing images, and (2) it analyzes the contributions of spectral and spatial features of GF-2 data for different land cover types through a spectral and spatial combination method. Full article

This paper proposes a meta-model-based parametric Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM) approach to preserving and renewing traditional timber dwellings, specifically focusing on traditional Bai ethnic residential architecture. The study integrates traditional architectural principles with contemporary digital construction techniques. Traditional Bai dwellings have complex timber structural and spatial characteristics with various components. Results from the application of HBIM demonstrate improved efficiency in documenting and managing structural information, facilitating the maintenance and preservation of heritage buildings. The study concludes that HBIM, supported by parametric and generative design approaches, offers significant advantages in the digital preservation of architectural heritage. This approach not only ensures the structural integrity and historical accuracy of the models but also provides a scalable solution for managing and preserving traditional dwellings in the face of modernization pressures. This research broadens the scope of parametric design within digital construction theory, particularly concerning ancient timber structures. It offers a crucial framework that can inform both future studies and practical efforts in the preservation of heritage buildings. Full article

In the Changxi River Basin in eastern Fujian, a few stone elements remain and Buddhist buildings with one bay in width and three bays in depth have been preserved dating from the timespan of the Tang to the Song dynasty. These features are characterized by a regional form of early Buddhist architecture seldom seen in Chinese history. The article focuses on the reconstruction of a Song dynasty Buddhist building at the Gonghoulou Temple site in Huotong Town, Jiaocheng District, Ningde City, and aims to analyze the potential characteristics and rules of single-bay Buddhist architecture. From the styles of the remaining stone columns, the direction of the lotus carving at the column base, and the mortises of the plinth stone, a spatial arrangement is indicated that includes an open front corridor and a closed rear section. A “reconstruction” of the ruler used in the original building reveals the possibility that a local Fujian ruler was used, shorter than the standard measurement device employed elsewhere. The analysis of the frame construction indicates that this hip-gable roof-covered Buddhist hall utilizes the horizontally layered logic of multi-storied palatial-style halls. Key elements include its gentle roof slope, restraint from the practice of shortening the roof ridge, use of the traditional chuji method, and the interior columns use of internal longitudinal architraves secured to beam supporting brackets. This research brings to light a unique architectural type that has disappeared in the course of history and was previously unknown to the academic community. It holds significant importance and value for deepening the understanding of the history of timber frame architecture technology in Fujian. Full article

Climate warming at high latitudes has contributed to the growing interest in shrub tree-ring analysis. Shrub architecture presents new challenges for dendrochronology, such as the seemingly lower and inconsistent climatic sensitivity of stems vs. root collars. Shrub stems may thus be considered as sub-optimal to study climate–growth relationships. In this paper, we propose that the lower climatic sensitivity of stems could be caused by the use of unsuitable detrending methods for chronologies spanning decades rather than centuries. We hypothesize that the conversion of the ring width (RW) to basal area increment (BAI) is better suited than traditional detrending methods to removing age/size-related trends without removing multi-decadal climate signals. Using stem and root collar samples collected from three sites in the forest–tundra ecotone of eastern Canada, we compared the climate–growth relationships of these two approaches for stems and root collars using mixed-effects models. The climate sensitivity was, on average, 4.9 and 2.7 times higher with BAI than with detrended (mean-centered) RW chronologies for stems and root collars, respectively. The climatic drivers of radial growth were identical for stems and root collars when using BAI (July temperature and March precipitation), but were inconsistent when using detrended RW series (root collars: July temperature and March precipitation at all sites; stems: April and June temperature, depending on the site). Although the use of BAI showed promising results for studying long-term climate signals in shrub growth chronologies, further studies focusing on different species and locations are needed before the use of BAI can become broadly used in shrub dendrochronology. Full article

The lucky cultural characteristics of traditional architecture are of importance. It shows what makes a place unique and the spiritual and material goals people have there. It is thus vital to understand the lucky cultural characteristics of traditional villages. This paper attempts to explore the auspicious cultural attributes of the town. We are aiming to reveal the current status of cultural integration in Shaxi’s ancient town so that we can find the problems arising from the development process. Moreover, the research subject is the lucky element of Shaxi Bai’s traditional architecture. Lucky themes include lotuses, unicorns, phoenixes, etc. The research was qualitative and quantitative, so we begin by identifying the lucky elements. Then, we used methods for analysing diversity and complex networks to determine their diversity indices and network model indicators. These findings show the old town’s diversified, lucky culture. However, Buddhist culture dominates the multicultural makeup. Furthermore, the native Bai culture is also conserved and preserved. Full article

Old load-bearing masonry buildings exist all around the world. The cultural and architectural heritage value of these buildings and the consciousness of public opinion have led to a need for safeguarding and preservation policies for these architecturally valued buildings and urban aggregates. This paper provides the information on the constructive and structural details of the old buildings dating from the 12th to 19th century in the Bay of Kotor and discusses their seismic and dynamic behaviour, identifying structural fragilities and consequently their vulnerability. One factor that significantly influences the seismic vulnerability is the quality of workmanship, which has, in conjunction with the lack of maintenance of the buildings, increased the seismic vulnerability of heritage masonry buildings in general. Masonry constructions represent an important part of Montenegrin Architectural Heritage. The existing heritage masonry buildings in the Bay of Kotor suffered major earthquakes with repairs ranging from minor repairs to partial rebuilding. No degree of seismic resistance to any potentially severe shaking levels has been determined for the surviving buildings. The lack of strategies, policies and actions by the institutions responsible for this domain in the course of the second half of the 20th century drove these buildings to the state of serious degradation. The adoption of intrusive and inadequate rehabilitation and conservation practices, using new materials and construction techniques on structural and nonstructural elements, has strayed away from traditional knowledge and practices. The main objective of this research is understanding the whole building process that underpins a historical construction, and building techniques and other methods applied in building the architectural and engineering structures constituting the present Historical Heritage in Montenegro. Full article

The Bay of Kotor, in its exceptional natural conditions, thanks to its geographical location and influenced by historical events, saw the development of rural settlements that are historically, artistically and culturally worthy of recognition. These stone settlements were acquired completely spontaneously, keeping the same pace as the settling, and transformed to some degree due to contemporary social movement and migration. Up until the middle of the 20th century, structures on the coastline in general were built by applying the same verified methods, which remained unchanged for centuries. Unreinforced stone walls as load-bearing vertical elements, coupled with wooden floor joists attached in a traditional way are typically present in the stone architecture of the Adriatic region and karst areas in general. The construction characteristics of the stone houses built in such a way meet all needs in terms of strength, thermal insulation, and are suitable for the coastal climate of this region. The fast-paced development in the past 50 years, the inadequate legal protection of residential buildings in the Bay of Kotor, poverty, and the new rich have brought about the devastation of not only buildings built in traditional architecture styles themselves, but also the urban landscape of the bay. Throughout the Bay of Kotor, buildings built in traditional architecture styles are nowadays more and more rare to see in their original shape—houses outside of cities but which display all characteristics of civic coastal houses and buildings free of rigid style rules, even though closely in contact with them. Regardless of efforts to preserve the heritage inherited by our ancestors, cultural monuments and houses referenced here deteriorate on a daily basis due to troubles and neglect. Full article