Space and Cultural Context: Cultural Genes of Traditional Vernacular Architecture in the Jianghan Plain

Abstract

Traditional vernacular dwellings in the Jianghan Plain are spatial forms generated through the long-term interaction of water-network geomorphology, agrarian civilization, and clan-based society, carrying the region’s historical memory and cultural identity. This study adopts “space and cultural context” as its analytical framework to explore and interpret the cultural genes of traditional dwellings in the Jianghan Plain. The research indicates that, from a historical perspective, the spatial prototype has developed a mechanism of “stable core with variable surface” through prolonged evolution, which lays the foundation for the continuity and sustainability of dwelling forms. In the spatial dimension, the courtyard pattern transforms ritual ethics into residential order through hierarchical layout, while the chuandou timber structure and patio system embody the adaptive wisdom to the humid and watery environment; meanwhile, decorative motifs constitute highly recognizable symbolic vocabularies. In the dimension of cultural context, ritual practices, folk customs, and craftsmanship continuously activate architectural space through everyday life and ceremonial behavior, enabling traditional dwellings to become meaningful fields that carry clan memory and cultural identity. The coupling of these three dimensions forms a cultural gene system characterized by structural, practical, and symbolic attributes.