Shophouse Catalogue 2: Traditional Materials of Shophouses

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A RC H I T EC T U R E M AT E R I A L I T Y IN SHOPHOUSE EARTH, WOOD, BRICK, TILE, STONE are the basic building materials in tradiƟonal Chinese architecture. When Southern Chinese communiƟes seƩle in early Singapore, they constructed their homes in reminiscence of their origins, adopƟng and craŌing tradiƟonal materials that were available in the region.

CONTENTS

TRADITIONAL CHINESE MATERIALS Earth 土 Wood 木 Brick 砖 Tile 瓦 Stone 石

ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS I. AdapƟve Metal 金属 Ceramic 陶瓷 Plaster 灰泥

II. MODERN Concrete 混凝土 Glass 玻璃

木 WOOD

Wood have been in abundance in forests in Chinese civilizaƟon birthplaces. Archaeological evidence of wooden sƟlt houses have dated as far back as 7000 years ago.

Source: CraŌ And Ritual In TradiƟonal Chinese Carpentry: With A Bibliographical Note On The "Lu Ban Jing" (1986)

Window

Roof system Door, Pintu pagar

Floor system Stairs, railings

Screen

Air vent

Wood | Door

Wood | Pintu pagar

Wood | Signage & plaque

Wood | Window & screen

Wood | Bracket, beam, joist & floor boards

Wood | Stairs & railings

Wood | FreĆŠed fascia boards & bat-shaped air vents

砖 BRICK

Fired bricks have emerged in China since 4400 BC at Chengtoushan, a walled seƩlement of the Daxi culture located in Hunan, China. With a primary use of it as walls, flooring and building foundaƟons.

Source: House Architecture, hƩps://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/home/3intrhme.htm

Party wall

Walls

Brick | Structural wall with lime plaster

Brick | Structural wall/ party wall

瓦 T I L E

Tiles have been widely uƟlized in China since the Zhou Dynasty. As the Ɵles conƟnue to be widely used through the medieval and modern age in China, the Ming and Qing dynasty used it as a way of segregaƟng societal levels.

Source: Zhou Period Science, Technology, and InvenƟons (2018)

Green glazed roof Æ&#x;les

Roof Ɵle | Semi-circular Ɵles, flat Ɵles, eave-end Ɵle, drip Ɵle (筒瓦) (板瓦) (瓦当) (滴水)

石 STONE

Chinese stone walls have been built since Neolithic Ɵmes however elaborate carvings and support structures such as bridges and pillars only began emerging in the 6th century as such architecture elements required more advanced technological tools.

Source: “Pleasure tower model,” in Recarving China’s Past: Art, Archaeology, and Architecture of the ‘Wu Family Shrines” (2005)

Ending step Five-foot way end slab Step across drain

Courtyard sink

Door threshold

Granite | 5-foot way end slab & steps across drain

Granite | Door threshold, courtyard sink, stairs end step

Granite | Stone carved guardian lion

Granite | Carved corbel

土 EARTH

Rammed earth construcƟon have had a long tradiƟon in China and have been even employed in construcƟng secƟons of the Great War of China. TradiƟonally in the Chinese house, walls were commonly made of earth. However, appropriate earth material is not available in the region of Nanyang including Singapore and clay bricks were used in place for wall construcƟon.

Source: Influence of Arabic and Chinese Rammed Earth Techniques in the Himalayan Region (2012)

Bricks are used instead of rammed earth for walls

Earth | Segment of The Great Wall of China, Jiayu pass

Earth | TradiƟonal rammed earth wall in China

Source: Domus, hƩps://www.domusweb.it/en/architecture/2012/04/10/back-to-earth.html, Performance of a Self-Build Rammed Earth House in a High Seismic Zone of Mexico (2017)