A Study on Rammed Earth Buildings in the Marginal Region of Tengger Desert in China

Abstract

The Tengger desert is an arid natural region
that covers about 36,700 km2 and is mostly in the Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region in China. Since its arid natural
landscape, the vernacular architecture in the marginal region
of the desert are mostly rammed earth buildings. My research
is primarily about a comparison between the cases from two
communities around the edge of the Tengger desert. These two
communities are in the same unique topography and ecological
environment, however, the vernacular architecture, which are
characterized by the different historical background,
nationalities and means of livelihood, shows different features.
My research was based on a field work about vernacular
building, in the form of oral and questionnaire surveys among
villagers and recorded major vernacular buildings. And my
study intends to turn documentation into interpretation, and
gain insight into existing differences of cultural identities
between nomad andsettlement.