The Influence of Natural Environment on the Forms of Traditional Dwellings—the Case of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Known as "the third pole of the world", Qinghai-Tibet Plateau occupies an important position among the global plateaus. Due to the complex landform and climate, the types of the traditional dwellings in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are diverse. This paper classifies the traditional dwellings of Qinghai-Tibet plateau based on their architectural plane, structure, material, function, etc. Then remote sensing images combined with field survey are adopted to spatially divide various types of traditional dwellings, and draw their spatial division map. On this basis, the spatial distributions of various dwelling types are fused with the natural environment information of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the patterns and laws of the distribution of various types of dwellings are analyzed. Finally, through the analysis of relevant impact factors, the causes of the temporal and spatial distribution of dwelling forms are revealed. The results show that the natural environment has a decisive influence on the form of the traditional dwellings through geographical features, temperature, precipitation and solar radiation. The overlap of the spatial distribution of various types of dwellings, and the generation of the architectural form such as sloping blockhouse and "Zhuangke" dwelling are the effective responses to the special natural and cultural environment of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.