Identification and expression of traditional house gene mapping: a study of seaweed house in Rongcheng, China

Abstract

Traditional villages, represent an important part of cultural landscape heritage, embodying local history and culture. The seaweed houses stand as models of vernacular architecture and a demonstration of the wisdom of human-earth symbiosis. However, owing to urbanization and scarcity of traditional materials, they face the risk of accelerated disappearance. While existing research focuses on architectural structure and cultural value, it lacks systematic gene mapping analysis. The gene theory of cultural landscapes provides a new perspective, as well as gene mapping that reveals architectural characteristics and evolutionary mechanisms. This study addresses this gap by identifying the architectural genes of seaweed houses and analyzing their spatial evolution and system formation through gene mapping expression. Focusing on seaweed houses in Rongcheng as the research object, this study identified key genes of spatial structure, materials, and technology through field survey measurements and digital modelling techniques (AutoCAD and 3Dmax) to construct a seaweed house gene mapping. The results show that the spatial evolution, as well as the architectural system consisting of stone walls and seaweed roofs, demonstrates environmental adaptability. This study emphasizes the importance of scientific conservation and restoration strategies, and provides suggestions to promote the sustainable development of seaweed houses.