All shophouses have wooden interior posts and beams. Facdes
are either made of wood or masonry, depending on the period in which the house was built. Designed to cope with the local tropical climate, the buildings are structured to maximize air flow. Doorways within the houses are aligned with each other and external doors are aligned with doors on the opposite side of the streets. This alignment of doorways is carried all the way down the streets. As a result, with cooperation, all residents can benefit from greater air flow. Interestingly, this alignment of doorways does not correspond to the principles of feng shui. Given Hoi An’s many Chinese residents, this feature is quite surprising and reflects their
adaptation to the local context.