Research on Detached Housing Construction Technology in Nanjing during 1930s: Baiziting - Fuhougang Residential Area as an Example

ABSTRACT With the Nationalist Government made Nanjing its capital city, 1930s’ Nanjing witnessed a boom of detached houses. These Western style garden houses were constructed in the first residential area for upper class, such as celebrities from military, government, and institution. In this article, the general background and construction technology of detached houses in Baiziting—Fuhougang residential area are presented. This area was determined to be the first residential area in The City Plan of Nanking (1929), houses in this area shared similar characteristics such as social status of owners, build time, developing mode, building scale, architectural style, and construction technology. Based on the field survey and measurement of existing houses in this area, precise details of the foundation, wall, ground and floor, stairs, windows and doors, roof are clearly shown in the form of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional graphics, at the same time, construction methods and technological characteristics of these detached houses are revealed. This in-depth research on the building construction technology indicates its characteristics of transplantation and local adaptation, and lays a basic technical foundation for the conservation of these architectural heritages.