As population aging intensifies and the importance of traditional village conservation increases, the interior spaces of vernacular dwellings in Chinese traditional villages face a dual task: supporting the daily lives of older residents while preserv...
As population aging intensifies and the importance of traditional village conservation increases, the interior spaces of vernacular dwellings in Chinese traditional villages face a dual task: supporting the daily lives of older residents while preserving traditional value and spatial characteristics. Previous studies have mainly focused on the spatial structure, architectural landscape, external environment, and conservation issues of traditional villages. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the use-related problems of interior spaces under the actual living conditions of older residents, age-friendly evaluation methods, and improvement strategies that take conservation constraints into account. Therefore, this study aims to identify the current problems of the interior spaces of vernacular dwellings in traditional villages in Shanxi Province from an age-friendly design perspective, construct an age-friendly evaluation system, apply it to evaluate and diagnose the age-friendly level, and propose improvement strategies.
The research methods include literature review, field investigation, Delphi expert survey, and AHP analysis. First, preliminary evaluation indicators were derived by reviewing age-friendly design, universal design, environmental behavior theory, traditional village conservation, improvement and reversible intervention, and relevant national, industry, and local standards. Subsequently, 27 vernacular dwellings located in nine traditional villages in Shanxi Province were selected as survey samples. The samples consisted of three types: courtyard-type vernacular dwellings, cave-type vernacular dwellings, and mountain stepped-type vernacular dwellings. Through field measurement, environmental measurement, observation, and resident interviews, this study investigated the spatial structure and circulation characteristics of interior spaces, light-thermal-air environments, the preservation status of traditional components, and the use of cultural spaces.
Based on the field investigation results, the measurability, sample applicability, structural independence, contextual suitability, and type-specific explanatory power of the preliminary evaluation indicators were examined. Then, through the Delphi expert survey, the necessity, independence, applicability, and feasibility of the indicators were reviewed, and the indicators were selected, integrated, and revised. AHP analysis was used to calculate the weights of evaluation areas and detailed evaluation indicators. In addition, for the application of the final evaluation system, this study organized the scoring criteria for detailed evaluation indicators, the AHP-weighted comprehensive score calculation method, and the classification criteria for age-friendly levels. As a result, an age-friendly evaluation system for the interior spaces of Chinese vernacular dwellings was constructed, consisting of 12 evaluation areas and 50 detailed evaluation indicators.
The constructed evaluation system and AHP weights were applied to the 27 sample dwellings to evaluate and diagnose the age-friendly level of the interior spaces of vernacular dwellings in Shanxi Province. The evaluation focused on comprehensive scores and grades by household, levels by evaluation area, levels by detailed evaluation indicator, high-weight and low-score indicators, and vulnerability comparisons by vernacular dwelling type. The results showed that the key problems of the interior spaces of vernacular dwellings in Shanxi Province were not limited to a simple lack of facilities or poor environmental performance. Instead, discontinuity in high-frequency daily movement routes, safety risks at major movement points, insufficient support for lighting, thermal environment and ventilation, lack of age-friendly facilities, and the need to coordinate conservation constraints with actual residential demands appeared as complex issues.
More specifically, bedroom-to-toilet accessibility, management of high-risk fall points, support points for sit-to-stand transitions, passability of entrance thresholds, functional lighting, emergency lighting, winter thermal stability, and reversibility of technical interventions were identified as indicators that significantly affect the age-friendly level. In addition, the problem patterns differed among the three types of vernacular dwellings. Courtyard-type vernacular dwellings showed prominent issues related to daily movement routes connecting the courtyard, main hall, bedroom, kitchen, and toilet, as well as the multifunctional use of spaces. Cave-type vernacular dwellings showed major problems related to deep cave rooms, one-sided daylighting, limited ventilation, and insufficient visibility. Mountain stepped-type vernacular dwellings showed relatively clear limitations related to terrain level differences, stairs, entrance slopes, transition risks, and the improvement of slip resistance in stone-wood structural materials.
Based on the evaluation and diagnosis results, this study proposed age-friendly improvement strategies for the interior spaces of Chinese vernacular dwellings. The common improvement strategies consist of priority intervention strategies, key support strategies, collaborative supplementation strategies, and safety-conservation management strategies. The priority intervention strategy focuses on restoring high-frequency daily movement routes and improving major risk points. The key support strategy centers on lighting, thermal environment, ventilation, slip resistance, and operational convenience. The collaborative supplementation strategy addresses the coordination between traditional components, traditional materials, cultural functional spaces, and modern facilities. The safety-conservation management strategy aims to prevent safety accidents and irreversible damage to cultural heritage. In addition, improvement directions suitable for each type were proposed by reflecting the characteristics of courtyard-type, cave-type, and mountain stepped-type vernacular dwellings.
Through a research process consisting of theoretical review, field investigation, expert verification, AHP weight calculation, confirmation of the evaluation system, age-friendly level evaluation and diagnosis, and proposal of improvement strategies, this study systematically analyzed the age-friendly problems of the interior spaces of vernacular dwellings in Shanxi Province. The findings provide methodological reference data for the age-friendly evaluation of vernacular dwelling interiors and offer design grounds for improving vernacular dwellings in a low-intervention and reversible manner under conservation constraints.