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These are homes of the Miao people of Xijiang village, Guizhou,
China. They are called DiaoJiaoLou (吊脚楼, literally 'hanging foot floor'). The wooden homes
are built on stilts
(hanging feet). They usually have two
or three storeys with the lower floors used to store goods and livestock. The architectural style has been
driven by the desire to maximise the best land for agriculture
leaving the worst and most difficult terrain for building homes. This
required the
homes to be built on steep slopes unsuitable for agriculture; hence
the stilts
to support their structure. Alexander's Pattern No.104
aims to minimise damage to the land saying,
"On no account place buildings in the places which are most
beautiful". For a thorough introduction to the
many site considerations we recommend the book, 'The Earth Care
Manual', Chapter 7 and other chapters. |
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