Research on the history, ecology, and design of folk houses:A review of the literature on seaweed houses in China

Ecological folk houses which are formed under the influence of the local climate, topographic features, and regional resources, are generally environmentally friendly and energy-saving with low-carbon emissions. They conform to local habits and behavior patterns. The study of ecological folk houses provides a valuable reference for the sustainable development of houses. One of the world's most representative ecological folk houses, the "seaweed house",was selected as the object of this study. A comprehensive review of research on seaweed houses was carried out in the Jiaodong Peninsula in China regarding their origins, historical development, structure, ecological strategies, and the conservation situation based on a bibliographic survey of more than 100 references over the last thirty years. The findings suggest that: (1) seaweed houses have a very high research value for sustainable development, which is mainly reflected in the ecology, culture, and region; (2) ecological strategies such as the material characteristics of seaweed and granite, roof slope, volume factor, and layout of the seaweed house courtyard are key influencing factors for the warmth of seaweed houses in winter and their coolness in summer; (3) the reduction in seaweed materials, unsustainable roof thatching skills, and the preference of young people for modern houses are the three main reasons for the rapid decline in seaweed houses; and (4) cultural excavation, economic development, and ecological optimization are key to the sustainable development of seaweed houses. Thus, this paper proposes possible future research and application directions.