The devil’s in the details
If you want to build a house that will last, then you’ve got to get everything right. Yang is extremely exacting in his approach, an attention to detail demonstrated by the trueness of every line in the house.
Yang Jingshu gives us a tour inside. She first has us look at the floor on our hands and knees. It’s four centimeters thick and feels sturdy as we walk across it. There are no creaks. Because wood expands and contracts with the weather, it will develop cracks. Consequently, the floorboards are laid with the grain running in alternating directions, making the floor stronger and more earthquake resistant, and less likely to move out of place.
The awning windows open at an angle. Yang San’er explains, “This is mainly to improve airflow. When the window opens at a slant, the entering wind will blow in across the angled surface, moving the hot air inside in a current upward.” High under the eaves, there is also a louvered window, which vents hot air from the house.
The walls are plastered with lime, because lime reflects heat and absorbs airborne moisture, lowering inside humidity.
Water is an enemy of wooden houses. Consequently, waterproofing and drainage need to be done well from the get-go.
Where the pillar on the front portico connects to the foundation, Yang created a downward slant so that the water wouldn’t collect there, thus preserving the wood.
The same goes for the windows: Where the window frames meet the walls, there is an outward and downward slant, so that the water can’t seep into the building.
“Those are details. The main point is that you’ve got to keep water away from wood, so you must consider every crack and junction,” Yang says. “I spent a lot of time thinking about how to handle spaces and cracks. What’s more it can’t be done quickly because there are so many details to attend to. You can avoid a lot of future maintenance by getting it right from the start.”
Yang San’er’s determination to do things properly is demonstrated in every corner of the house. (photo by Wade Studio)