Exploration on the Original Architecture of a Vernacular Workshop in East Sichuan Basin of China

Qīujiā Zhàcaì Zuōfang was a vernacular building cluster in East Sichuan Basin of China with a history of more than a century. A Siheyuan quadrangles of the cluster, called as Shàngyuàn, was alternated and finally demolished after mid-20th century. The aim of this research was to define and reason the status of Shàngyuàn after its original finish and before demolition. As a result of this research, the history of the building cluster was first clarified. Architecturally, the historic length measurement system adopted to construct Shàngyuàn was defined, and the original architecture of Shàngyuàn around 1900s and before demolition were reasoned. This research was an application of existing study and theory about the vernacular buildings in Sichuan Basin and showed a methodology to verify historic building archives for built heritage conservation projects. It also provided a feasible approach to reason original building for the remains of Szechuan vernacular buildings, especially for those lacking reliable archives or photos.