One of author Ronald Knapp’s main points from the second chapter of China’s Vernacular Architecture: House Form and Culture is the practicality of the space made and suitability to local conditions . The basic unit of early Chinese architecture is the jian, the rectangular space outlined by a wooden framework of four columns. For example, two adjacent rows of four columns, with space between the rows, create three jian. A jian is similar to, and can be, a generic room, but a jian, while it can have walls, can also be considered an open enclosed space. I found it interesting that there is always an odd number of jian, usually three or five, because if there are six timber posts, then two jian can be made, so it made me wonder. An odd number of jian creates a symmetrical building with a central area, a single jian. In a residence with two, four, or six jian, it is impossible to distinguish the central area between the two middle jian.
Bibliographic References
Knapp, Ronald G. China’s Vernacular Architecture: House Form and Culture. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1989.
