The quadrangle architecture in Han Dynasty has been updated and developed. Influenced by geomantic omen theory, quadrangles have a whole set of views of Yin-Yang and Five Elements from site selection to layout. In the Tang Dynasty, quadrangles inherited the Han Dynasty and the Song and Yuan Dynasties, with a narrow front and a narrow back.
However, the quadrangle that prevailed in ancient times was a corridor courtyard, that is, the central axis of the courtyard was the main building, surrounded by cloisters, or houses on the left and right, rather than houses on all sides. In the late Tang Dynasty, quadrangles with cloisters appeared, gradually replacing cloisters. After the Song Dynasty, cloisters gradually decreased and disappeared in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
During the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, quadrangles gradually matured. Yuan Shizu Kublai Khan "told the residents of the old city that the capital was too old, and those who lived in high places (rich people) and occupied places (serving in the imperial court) came first, and customized eight acres of land for one point", which was distributed to wealthy businessmen and officials who went to the metropolis to build houses, thus beginning the period of large-scale formation of traditional quadrangles in Beijing. From 65438 A.D. to the early 1970s, the ruins of Yuan Dynasty quadrangles unearthed from Houyingfang Hutong in Beijing can be regarded as the embryonic form of Beijing quadrangles. After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Beijing's unique quadrangle architectural style was gradually formed.
The existing quadrangles in Beijing basically met the needs of a family in ancient times. At that time, there were two entrances to the quadrangle. The larger quadrangle was usually the residence of bureaucrats and gentry. In modern times, on the one hand, quadrangles basically have no sanitary facilities such as water supply and drainage and heating. In addition, with the development of science and technology, automobiles, air conditioners and other equipment have appeared, making it difficult for the original quadrangles to meet the needs of modern life. On the other hand, there are few big families with four generations living under one roof, and wealthy families are usually willing to buy villas in suburbs with convenient transportation instead of living in densely populated urban areas. Therefore, whether quadrangles are still valuable as folk houses is also a controversial issue since modern times.
With the development of the protection of the old city, the original quadrangle was transformed. For example, in 1990, Professor Wu of Tsinghua University presided over the reconstruction project of Beijing Juer Hutong Courtyard. On the basis of retaining the quadrangle structure, the bungalow of the original quadrangle was changed into a building, and facilities such as kitchen and bathroom were added. The renovation project won the United Nations World Habitat Award. During the reconstruction of Wang Hongbin, some quadrangles were changed into two floors and underground garages were built. In 2006, Beijing published the Architectural Elements Map of Beijing Siheyuan as a reference for the protection, repair, renewal and transformation of Siheyuan.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, many quadrangles in Beijing have become miscellaneous hospitals. After the reform and opening up, with the development of urban transformation, many traditional quadrangles have been demolished, such as 1998 Kangyouwei Xinyue Dongge, Zhao's former residence in 2000, Meng Duan Hutong No.45 in 2004, Cao Xueqin's former residence in 2005 and Tang Shaoqin's former residence in 2006. At the same time, some quadrangles were included in the protected courtyards in Beijing and all districts and counties.
Beijing Siheyuan is the representative of China North Siheyuan, and it has its own characteristics at the same time. Generally speaking, the houses of agricultural nationalities in the northern plain are basically separated from each other, and the net height of the houses is not very large, but the courtyards are relatively spacious. This is because the climate in the north is cold, shorter houses are good for keeping warm, and spacious courtyards are good for lighting. The courtyard size of China quadrangle residence is in direct proportion to the change of latitude. With the increase of latitude, the climate is getting hotter, but the depth of the courtyard is getting narrower and narrower. This situation is related to the direct angle of the sun. It is cold in the north, and it needs plenty of sunshine in winter, but the sunshine height angle in the north is small, so there must be enough space between houses to get better lighting effect. It's hot in the south, so it needs shading in summer. Because the angle of the sun is high, in order to prevent too much sunlight, the distance between houses must be reduced. According to statistics, the average ratios of courtyard depth to room height of quadrangles in Jilin, Beijing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian are15: 3,10: 3, 5: 3 and 6: 5. [2] For example, the residential compound in the northeast of Jilin is rectangular, the houses are far apart, the houses are scattered in the middle of the yard, and the wing rooms are arranged far away from the main room, so the yard is relatively wide and empty, with a general area of about 1500 square meters (m[2]) (Figure 2). The reason why such a loose layout is adopted is that the northeast is vast and sparsely populated, so building a house can occupy more land, and it is also because it is cold in winter, and the wing can avoid the main house and make the main house sunny. Compared with Beijing quadrangles, the shortcomings of Jilin quadrangles are obvious. The houses in the house are not connected with each other, and each house appears as a single body with a loose layout. The land area of each house is too large, and the land utilization rate is low, especially behind the house. Some people who have never used it have made it useless. Another major problem is that the wing is too long, which makes the yard form a long rectangle. These houses are not suitable for lack of light.