Unveiling the mechanism of diachronic changes and regional characteristics differences in the built environment of traditional villages from the perspective of color data: Evidence from Macheng City, China

Abstract

Abstract Traditional villages hold a vital place in Chinese vernacular built heritage continuation with their colors being a significant constituent of the built environment. While digital technology has advanced our understanding of built environment, current research pays attention on how color influences the environment, often overlooking temporal changes and regional differences, especially neglects color protection measures. This study establishes an diachronic image dataset using national traditional villages in Macheng City, Hubei Province. By using of K-Means and CIEDE2000 algorithms, we analyze color characteristics differences among 4 regions in Macheng City in 2022. And, we select five year’ s diachronic image data of Dongyuan Village (2017–2022) to elucidate the color changes mechanisms. The results show that: (1) Elements influenced by the government, construction techniques dissemination, and environmental factors exhibit regional similarity, while the color of wall differs significantly. (2) Dongyuan Village underwent color corrections beneficial aligned with government policies, while the color data stabilizes with minimal change in the surrounding environment. This study enhances our comprehension of traditional village color and regional characteristics changes, contributing to effective measures for the preservation of these culturally significant built heritage.