Since the inception of China’s national strategy for rural revitalization, experts and scholars from various research directions have turned their research focus to rural areas, including architectural design. However, as village development deepens, some problems have emerged. Because Miao villages possess distinct ethnic spatial characteristics (such as stilted buildings and drum towers), designers have not delved into the unique features of each village, instead adopting common characteristics to refine their designs. This has led to homogenization in design schemes and long-term plans for some villages. Furthermore, some designers have not deeply understood Miao culture and its connotations, resulting in a disconnect between their designs and the cultural narrative expressed in the original spaces. Therefore, how can architectural design, as a method of spatial regeneration, more effectively intervene in collective spaces and more rationally translate the cultural narrative of the Miao people to promote the development of Miao villages? The Miao are a global ethnic group. Their common name is Hmong, and they are known as Miao in China. The population of the Miao ethnic group in China is approximately 11.06 million, far exceeding that of other countries in the world. Guizhou Province has about 4.5 million Miao people, making it the largest Miao population at the provincial level in China. At the same time, Guizhou has the second largest number of traditional villages. Therefore, this study focuses on Guizhou Province, China, and examines the collective spaces within Miao villages. A design-driven research approach is employed to provide contextualized practices for the cultural narrative regeneration of collective spaces in Miao villages. The entire thesis progresses step-by-step through theoretical construction, cultural analysis, case studies, spatial deconstruction, and design experiments. Initially, the research involves literature review and theoretical interpretation to understand the current state of research on settlements and vernacular architecture and to clarify the two core design elements: cultural narrative and collective space. Then, from an ethnological perspective, the relationship between the Miao’s historical context, social structure, cultural genes, and space is analyzed. Furthermore, solid field research data is essential for support. During this study, the author conducted multiple field investigations and anthropological interviews in Guizhou. Subsequently, a thorough deconstruction of the spatial form of Miao villages was conducted through typology and morphology, laying the foundation for the design of communal spaces. Simultaneously, case studies of vernacular architecture from different regions were used to identify design methods more suitable for Miao villages in Guizhou. Combined with the experience gained from failed case studies and three years of experimentation in the design studio, a design strategy suitable for the regeneration of Miao communal spaces in Guizhou was ultimately developed.
Fin dall'inizio della strategia nazionale cinese per la rivitalizzazione rurale, esperti e studiosi di vari indirizzi di ricerca hanno concentrato la loro attenzione sulle aree rurali, inclusa la progettazione architettonica. Tuttavia, con l'approfondirsi dello sviluppo dei villaggi, sono emersi alcuni problemi. Poiché i villaggi Miao possiedono caratteristiche spaziali etniche distinte (come edifici su palafitte e torri a tamburo), i progettisti non hanno approfondito le caratteristiche uniche di ogni villaggio, adottando invece caratteristiche comuni per perfezionare i loro progetti. Ciò ha portato a un'omogeneizzazione negli schemi progettuali e nei piani a lungo termine per alcuni villaggi. Inoltre, alcuni progettisti non hanno compreso a fondo la cultura Miao e le sue connotazioni, con conseguente disconnessione tra i loro progetti e la narrazione culturale espressa negli spazi originali. Pertanto, come può la progettazione architettonica, come metodo di rigenerazione spaziale, intervenire in modo più efficace negli spazi collettivi e tradurre in modo più razionale la narrazione culturale del popolo Miao per promuovere lo sviluppo dei villaggi Miao? I Miao sono un gruppo etnico globale. Il loro nome comune è Hmong e sono conosciuti come Miao in Cina. La popolazione del gruppo etnico Miao in Cina è di circa 11,06 milioni, di gran lunga superiore a quella di altri paesi del mondo. La provincia di Guizhou conta circa 4,5 milioni di Miao, il che la rende la più grande popolazione Miao a livello provinciale in Cina. Allo stesso tempo, il Guizhou ha il secondo maggior numero di villaggi tradizionali. Pertanto, questo studio si concentra sulla provincia di Guizhou, in Cina, ed esamina gli spazi collettivi all'interno dei villaggi Miao. Un approccio di ricerca basato sul design viene impiegato per fornire pratiche contestualizzate per la rigenerazione narrativa culturale degli spazi collettivi nei villaggi Miao. L'intera tesi procede passo dopo passo attraverso la costruzione teorica, l'analisi culturale, studi di caso, la decostruzione spaziale e gli esperimenti di design. Inizialmente, la ricerca prevede la revisione della letteratura e l'interpretazione teorica per comprendere lo stato attuale della ricerca sugli insediamenti e l'architettura vernacolare e per chiarire i due elementi progettuali fondamentali: la narrativa culturale e lo spazio collettivo. Successivamente, da una prospettiva etnologica, viene analizzata la relazione tra il contesto storico, la struttura sociale, i geni culturali e lo spazio dei Miao. Inoltre, solidi dati di ricerca sul campo sono essenziali a supporto. Nel corso di questo studio, l'autore ha condotto molteplici indagini sul campo e interviste antropologiche nel Guizhou. Successivamente, è stata condotta un'accurata decostruzione della forma spaziale dei villaggi Miao attraverso tipologia e morfologia, gettando le basi per la progettazione degli spazi comuni. Contemporaneamente, sono stati utilizzati casi di studio di architettura vernacolare provenienti da diverse regioni per identificare i metodi di progettazione più adatti ai villaggi Miao nel Guizhou. Combinando l'esperienza acquisita con casi di studio falliti e tre anni di sperimentazione in studio, è stata infine sviluppata una strategia progettuale adatta alla rigenerazione degli spazi comuni Miao nel Guizhou.
Cultural narratives in butterfly villages : the role of architectural design in the regeneration of collective spaces in Miao settlements
Liu, Yidan
2025/2026
Abstract
Since the inception of China’s national strategy for rural revitalization, experts and scholars from various research directions have turned their research focus to rural areas, including architectural design. However, as village development deepens, some problems have emerged. Because Miao villages possess distinct ethnic spatial characteristics (such as stilted buildings and drum towers), designers have not delved into the unique features of each village, instead adopting common characteristics to refine their designs. This has led to homogenization in design schemes and long-term plans for some villages. Furthermore, some designers have not deeply understood Miao culture and its connotations, resulting in a disconnect between their designs and the cultural narrative expressed in the original spaces. Therefore, how can architectural design, as a method of spatial regeneration, more effectively intervene in collective spaces and more rationally translate the cultural narrative of the Miao people to promote the development of Miao villages? The Miao are a global ethnic group. Their common name is Hmong, and they are known as Miao in China. The population of the Miao ethnic group in China is approximately 11.06 million, far exceeding that of other countries in the world. Guizhou Province has about 4.5 million Miao people, making it the largest Miao population at the provincial level in China. At the same time, Guizhou has the second largest number of traditional villages. Therefore, this study focuses on Guizhou Province, China, and examines the collective spaces within Miao villages. A design-driven research approach is employed to provide contextualized practices for the cultural narrative regeneration of collective spaces in Miao villages. The entire thesis progresses step-by-step through theoretical construction, cultural analysis, case studies, spatial deconstruction, and design experiments. Initially, the research involves literature review and theoretical interpretation to understand the current state of research on settlements and vernacular architecture and to clarify the two core design elements: cultural narrative and collective space. Then, from an ethnological perspective, the relationship between the Miao’s historical context, social structure, cultural genes, and space is analyzed. Furthermore, solid field research data is essential for support. During this study, the author conducted multiple field investigations and anthropological interviews in Guizhou. Subsequently, a thorough deconstruction of the spatial form of Miao villages was conducted through typology and morphology, laying the foundation for the design of communal spaces. Simultaneously, case studies of vernacular architecture from different regions were used to identify design methods more suitable for Miao villages in Guizhou. Combined with the experience gained from failed case studies and three years of experimentation in the design studio, a design strategy suitable for the regeneration of Miao communal spaces in Guizhou was ultimately developed.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/248817