Abstract

Traditional vernacular dwellings, as material carriers of regional culture, provide key evidence for understanding the formation logic and regional characteristics of vernacular residential architecture through their distinctive architectural form, refined construction techniques, and embedded cultural meanings. Focusing on kiln dwellings in Gongyi, Zhengzhou, this study conducts a systematic examination based on archival research, field investigation, on-site measured drawings, and architectural drawings. Taking the two basic courtyard-based forms observed in Gongyi, namely cliff kilns and Subterranean pit-kilns, the paper analyzes representative cases in terms of courtyard form, structural system, and façade construction. It thereby elucidates the regional architectural culture and artistic expression embodied in these dwellings, and offers a more grounded understanding of China’s earthen architecture lineage, supports the continuity of regional architectural context, and provides concrete built references for contemporary rural design practice.

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