Establishing and applying a value evaluation model for traditional Pit Kiln villages in the Henan province of China

The pit kiln in western Henan is a relatively unique architectural form. With the development of society, pit kilns are facing the dilemma of existence and development. This paper assesses the architectural value of six pit kiln villages in the western part of He’nan Province, China, aiming to explores the methods of traditional buildifng value evaluation, and proposes the evaluation framework and elements, and provides a basis for the judgment of village development planning. The research methods used were the statistical analysis (Dephi) and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The criterion level includes scientific, artistic, social, and use value, and among them, social value has the greatest weight. The sub-criterion level is composed of 15 elements, that is building age, structure, materials, coordination with the environment, representation of building technology, decoration, and form, building location, scale, and utilization rate, building layout, building interior environment, and building economy. Based on these criteria, the six villages assessed are divided into two levels: good and normal. The good villages are those that scored high because of their representative architectural form, good location and good conditions of usage.