EXPLORING THE TYPOLOGICAL PROCESS OF RESIDENTIAL UNIT IN LILONG HOUSING IN TIANJIN, CHINA

Abstract

Lilong housing in Tianjin was derived from the Chinese traditional courtyard housing. From mid-19th century to first half of 20th century, Lilong housing was constructed in large quantities and varied in type. It was the most representative dwelling house in modern cities. Researches on the classification of Lilong housing were mainly based on the graph of an overall layout and a single building. The influence of culture background on the type and the continuity of typological process was neglected. Based on the method of Italian typology, this paper divides the typological process into four continuous phases and analyses the inheritage and development of residential units in a typological process. In conclusion, the residential unit is much easier to combine in the form and include more specialized rooms in function, which reflect the trend of more intensivist and complexity in Lilong house. It is the first time to apply Italian typology to the study of Lilong housing in this paper. Many questions still need to be answered. But it provides a new perspective for the future research on Lilong housing in Tianjin.