From Authority to Everyday Practice: Authorized Heritage Discourse and Parasitic Adaptive Reuse in Siheyuan

Authorized Heritage Discourse (AHD) equates heritage value with visual and material purity, marginalizing resident-led changes as damage. This study examines “parasitic” additions to Beijing’s siheyuan—vernacular, externally attached modules used to meet modern living needs—as a critical site of negotiation. Combining spatial mapping of 48 cases, a resident survey (n = 185), and stakeholder interviews (n = 13) conducted between April 2023 and June 2025, we identify a fundamental discursive rupture: residents overwhelmingly justify adaptations on “living rights” grounds (support rate ≈ 76.3%), while professionals uphold aesthetic conservation. We theorize these interventions as a “subversive compromise,” preserving the historic shell while embedding modern functionality, thus co-producing a state of “negotiated authenticity.” While limited by non-probability sampling, the findings call for a governance shift from rigid form-based rules to performance- and rights-oriented pathways, including provisional permits and participatory review. The study underscores the need to reconcile visual integrity with dwelling rights to sustain living heritage.