When building human settlements, western areas of China with very fragile ecology and underdeveloped economy face with more difficulties and have to deal with harsher constraints than other areas do. In order to develop sustainably during rapid urbanization, ver nacular houses of wester n r ural areas should explore appropriate technologies based on local climate, economy and social situations. There are two ways for appropriate technology, one of which is to turn modern technology into the local, and the other is to optimize traditional technology according to times. Two cases of Jianfuqiao Village in Yinchuan City and Yingmaili Village in Turpan are introduced in this paper, designed by Green Architecture Research Center of Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology.