Are Chinese symbols built from more elementary symbols or forms?
explanation in modern day research:

we use components (部件), to "build up" chinese characters; and there're 1316.

http://chardb.iis.sinica.edu.tw/system_intro.jsp

basically, we have 8 types of stroke (筆畫) to compose each component.

about the "structural relations and configuration regularity" of components, have a look of this page; in english and traditional chinese:

http://other.allad.com.tw/chinese2/teacher_e.php