Research on the spatial configuration of vernacular architecture from the perspective of structuralism

To address the vernacular discontinuity and inheritance dilemma of contemporary vernacular architecture, this paper introduces a structuralist and anthropological perspective. Taking 35 Zhuang pile-dwellings in Pingliu Village, Longlin County, western Guangxi as the research object, it employs space configuration theory and the JPG (Justified Plan Graph) analysis method to conduct a spatial pattern analysis that combines space syntax quantification with grammatical rules. The study summarizes the overall spatial order, strong programs, weak programs, and independent rules of the spatial pattern, and constructs the corresponding grammatical rules, type genealogy, and spatial archetype. Through archetype analysis, the synchronic structure and cultural archetype of Zhuang pile-dwelling space are clarified, revealing the dual endogenous spatial logic of “Ritual–Family” and “Order–Nature” embedded in the Zhuang residential spatial pattern, as well as spatial cultures including the Zhuang three-world cosmology and the host–guest spatial interface.