Japanese Dwellings

Japanese Dwellings from traditional architecture into a contemporary design

AR0830 Architecture Theory: Architectural Thinking Suzana Milinovic & Karina Moraes Zarzar

ESSAY

Sherwin Vreeswijk 1142321

[email protected] 12 march 2009

Centre for Music Makers STUDIO Udo Garritzmann & Pelle Poiesz

Japanese Dwellings: From Traditional Architecture Into A Contemporary Design Sherwin Vreeswijk

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TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................... 2

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 3

[1] THE TRADITIONAL TIMES ................................................................................................................... 5

[1.1] Traditional Styles ......................................................................................................................... 5

[1.1.1] SHINDEN STYLE: .................................................................................................................. 5

[1.1.2] SHOIN STYLE: EARLY MODERN RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE ............................................. 6

[1.1.3] SUKIYA STYLE ....................................................................................................................... 6

[1.2] REMAINS OF THE STYLES ............................................................................................................. 7

[1.2.1] SPACE ................................................................................................................................... 7

[1.2.2] NATURE ................................................................................................................................ 8

[1.2.3] RELIGION .............................................................................................................................. 8

[1.2.4] CULTURE .............................................................................................................................. 8

[2] THE MODERN TIMES .......................................................................................................................... 9

[2.1] The Weekend House in Gunma, Japan (1997 by Ryue Nishizawa ) .......................................... 10

[2.2] The House in Plum Grove, Tokyo (2003 by Kazuyo Sejima) ...................................................... 12

[2.3] The O House Nagoya, Aichi, Japan (1988 by Tadao Ando) ....................................................... 15

CONCLUSION: THE REBIRTH OF TRADITION .......................................................................................... 17

REFERENCES .......................................................................................................................................... 18


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INTRODUCTION

Japanese architecture, especially Japanese dwellings have fascinated me for a long time. The

aesthetic ideas they have are things that attract me to their designs. I would like to learn more on the

Japanese way of thinking and trying to find answers that will probably understand their architecture

better. At a lecture I went to in the NAI in Rotterdam by Japanese architect: Sou Fujimoto I was

interested in the different concepts he had for dwellings. He has really unique ideas to my knowledge

on how people can live. In Japanese architecture they have different ways of dealing with concepts

and it still works and even though it may look different to how we here design it is still a good design.

Japan has a totally different history and culture that has influenced the way they think about

architecture and that is one of the main reasons they do the things they do different. But

nevertheless their ideas on light, shadow, space, gardens, dwellings etc are still ideas we can learn

from and make it our own.

In different countries, or regions people have different ways of living together and ideas about the

family. So these are mostly the ground principles how dwelling architecture will derive from their

way living. It is to my knowledge as if now completely different than how we live here in Europe. The

Japanese way of living is something that comes from tradition. The relations between tradition and

modernity are things that interest me in this case. How are traditional ideas expressed in

contemporary designs?

Kenzo Tange was one of the Japanese architects who battled with this “problem”: In the

documentary about the Olympic stadium he says: “During the reconstruction period we came up with

the problem of routing modern architecture with the realities of Japanese life. We felt that in a world

of architecture these realities were particularly meaningful and that through them we can perceive

the weight of tradition. Tradition often has decadent tendencies that lead to repetition and

formalization. For it to be a true source of inspiration, for tradition to live on, it must constantly be

destroyed.” 1 What I understand from this quote is that for tradition to live on, you don’t just copy

the ideas but get to the essence of tradition and morph it into a contemporary idea. With my essay I

want to research what ideas from traditional life and architecture are still relevant today and the

essence of them is still present in the modern, contemporary dwellings. I will try to find out what

ideas from traditional Japanese dwellings are still used today in contemporary architecture. I will try

to find that answer by answering the following question first:

1 Architectures 4 episode 4


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a. What ideas from previous building styles still exist?

b. What influence does the Japanese way of living have on their designs of house?

c. What is the influence from their religion on the designs of Japanese dwellings?

d. What are their ideas on space and nature?

e. What is the influence of the ‘modern times’ on dwellings in Japan?

My way for answering these questions I will first look at the most significant Japanese building

periods (styles) and see what the concepts are behind space, nature, religion and culture. From this I

will have some criteria to analyze 3 contemporary designs and try to find out what characteristics

from tradition still exist in these projects and how they are used.


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[1] THE TRADITIONAL TIMES

[1.1] TRADITIONAL STYLES The influences from traditional times are almost unrecognizable these days in Japanese dwelling

architecture. But it is there used in different ways. For me to recognize these characteristics I will first

look at the most influential traditional architectural styles. The historical residential architecture has

3 important periods that characterize Japanese architecture.

[1.1.1] SHINDEN STYLE: 2

Every shinden style has its own unique aspects most faced south over a courtyard where ceremonies

and entertainments were performed. Some characteristic interior elements are:

1. Wooden verandas with slight gaps to prevent pooling of rain water

2. Floors made of wood with movable mats made of woven straw with silk borders for sitting or

reclining

3. Swinging doors at the ends of the building

4. Sliding doors on verandas

5. Exterior partitions consisted of shutters of bamboo often with curtains behind

6. Interior partitions mostly with sliding screens with paintings on them (these were often

translucent paper screens

2 Nishi, K & Hozumi, K – What is Japanese Architecture ? A Survey of Traditional Japanese architecture with a lists of sites and a map‐ p 64‐67

Figure 1: shinden style interiors, partitions and veranda (nishi, p 67)


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[1.1.2] SHOIN STYLE: EARLY MODERN RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE3

This style mostly consists of

1. a decorative alcove

2. staggered shelves

3. built in desk

4. Decorative doors.

But still very few of the building from the shoin style have all 4 elements. The

shoin style is also characterized by tatami mats over the entire floor.

[1.1.3] SUKIYA STYLE4

Sukiya means “abode of refinement”. This style is mostly based on the shoin style. The most

successful designs of the sukiya combine the elegance of the formal shoin style with a relaxed

atmosphere. Much of the atmosphere of the sukiya was created by ideas borrowed from the

architecture of the tea ceremony, the art of preparing tea and drinking it with mental discipline,

physical control and aesthetic

sensibility. The Sukiya style is presented

by Japanese and Western critics alike as

the quintessence of Japanese taste.

During this style the value of the

seasons and garden came to be more

visible in the architecture. They would

love to admire the cherry blossoms in

spring and the crimson leaves in autumn

while preparing tea or quiet studying.

3 Nishi, K & Hozumi, K p 74‐76 4 Nishi, K & Hozumi, K p 78‐81

Figure 2: the shoin style (nishi, p 74‐75)

Figure 3: Sukiya interior (nishi, p 80)


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[1.2] REMAINS OF THE STYLES One house that still exists today that still represents traditional Japanese dwellings is the house of

Sugimoto. This house lies among the newest buildings in Kyoto. In it all the ideas are still present and

visible. In the next sub chapters I will write about their way of thinking on topics like space, nature,

religion and culture. While writing I will relate to this house as an example for their ideas.

[1.2.1] SPACE

Space was always unarticulated5 according to Mitsuo Inoue who wrote the book “Space In Japanese

Architecture” He says that people didn’t articulate the spaces between humans and god, because of

the sacredness of the space because it is shared with god. But what it all comes down to says Yagi

that Japanese interior space is about simplicity and flexibility. Tones are quiet, and materials,

wherever possible, natural. Translucent and opaque sliding doors and a variety of portable partitions

give the living space a wonderful versatility by providing an effortless and tasteful way of altering the

size and shape of a room.6 This is also something that had to do with their way of living, because they

used the same room for different functions. Like sleeping, dining, living and entertaining guests as is

show in this book, by storing everything up after finishing the function. Like put mattresses back in

the closet etc. 7Mitsuo: “The House is a series of empty space. I have noticed that there way of

thinking about space is common to most architects. They relate it to writing. Like in the documentary

about the Sugimoto house they say space is the area between one object and another or between one

event and another: emptiness, a pause between two notes to create a rhythm8”. This immediately

reminded me of what Sou Fujimoto said about space in the children’s daycare centre. He say the

space as the pause between two notes as well. In Japanese dwellings houses are formed out spaces

connected to each other. These are not connected by corridors but my movable screens. When

opened all spaces together form one big space. And it is only given a function when objects are

placed in it. Like a cushion and a table. These rooms were usually the size of the amount of tatami

mats placed inside. These tatami mats have the size of one person lying down. In Japan this was 1.90

m x 95 cm and about 5 cm thick made out of rice straws. 9 Rooms were made up by multiple tatamis.

This determined the size of the room.

5 Inoue, M, p 17 6 Yagi, M, p32 7 Yagi, K p42‐43 8 Architectures 5 ep.2 9 Architectures 5 ep.2

Figure 4: Tatami Patterns (Architectures DVD 5 episode 2)


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[1.2.2] NATURE

The relationship with nature is not so much something that has a religious meaning in the literal

sense but more so that it helped them to meditate. For this Koji Yagi says that the distinction

between interior space and exterior space is not clearly defined. And that nature is drawn into the

house by a variety of means such as shoji, bamboo screens and entranceways or veranda.10 Yagi also

says that Japanese gardens are intended to be viewed from an interior space against the background

of a wall or fence. 11 In the documentary about the Sugimoto house they say that the garden is

nature mastered and highly maintained by humans12. This admiration comes from the Sukiya style.

[1.2.3] RELIGION

Some spaces in the dwelling were devoted to religion. Like the formal tea room is used for drinking

tea and meditating. These spaces were usually next to the gardens. To help them meditate. In these

spaces there are almost always tatami mats.

[1.2.4] CULTURE

I know that Japanese had close relationships within the family due to the thin wall partitions of the

house. And they usually shared spaces together. I think this helped the family bond better. But most

of Japanese life has to do with tradition as well. Something that is also important for there way of

living is the formal entranceway. This has lost is religious significance, but it is a place where the

shoes are remove and it represents the distinction between “clean” and “unclean” according to Koji

Yagi13. Most houses were lifted from the ground as well. That is also visible in the Sugimoto house.

The height is a code. You don’t say “come in” but “come up” and going up means taking of your

shoes. 14

10 Yagi, K, p18 11 Yahi, K, p19 12 Architectures 5 episode 2 13 Yagi, M, p22 14 Architectures 5 episode 2


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[2] THE MODERN TIMES

This chapter will focus on ideas from traditional houses that correspond to the modern issues

architects have to deal with. Thomas Daniel says that the spatial compositions of houses designed

over the last decade trace sociological and demographic shifts in Japan: a declining birth rate, an

increasing proportion of elderly people, more adults living alone and working at home15. How do the

dwellings respond to these changes? Daniel also says that architects also try to engage in other

changes like the social issues. Like the increase of in juvenile delinquency and ‘hikikomori’ (acute

social withdrawal). Which critics seem to say is an effect of house plans with private rooms for each

family member, a cultural alien typology that only became the norm in Japan after the 2nd world

war.16 How do they deal with attacking these issues? Some of these issues are according to Daniel

dealt with ideas that come from traditional Japanese designs like the ones mentioned chapter 1. 17

This goes back the traditional times where there was almost no privacy with the paper walls.

According to Daniel the characteristics from traditional Japanese houses that are still relevant today as seen in most houses are.18

1. a sense of privacy combined with an openness to climatic and seasonal change

2. a subtle layering of spaces from inside to outside

3. functional ambiguity

4. room configuration that may be altered with mobile partitions

5. Unarticulated spaces

With this I will analyze some contemporary designs with these criteria. I will look at some of these

and see what the performance idea is and for what operations and what result this has on the form.

What are the reasons behind them? Do they come from traditional ideas or more modern ‘problems’

or is it a combination of both? The topics that I will focus on are.

• Setting

• Entrance

• Inside/ Outside (layering)

• Functions

• Partitioning

15 Japan Architect, p112 16 Japan Architect, p112 17 Japan Architect, p112 18 Japan Architect, p112


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[2.1] THE WEEKEND HOUSE IN GUNMA, JAPAN (1997 BY RYUE NISHIZAWA ) This is a weekend house located a village near an express highway. The client requested for a weekend villa equipped with space to display the works by the daughter who is a painter, and that it be a structure with few windows for security reasons as the site is in a lonely secluded area.19

19 GA Architect, P 92

PERFORMANCE OPERATION FORM Setting: The area is a secluded area surrounded by nature. It stands in the middle of a hollow as if someone scooped it out/

Entrance: Because of security reasons the house has a few windows and the entrances are through the courtyards that are penetrated through the building. When closed the house seems like one closed block

Inside/Outside: Because of security reasons the whole blocks is closed most of the times, but because of the penetrated courtyards light and green are also penetrated inside the house. The glass walls of the courtyard make it so that you can see through the courtyards into another space. This makes the boundary inside outside fade. It looks as if you can walk through the courtyards into the other space.

Figures 5‐16: all images from GA Architect, p 90‐92


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After analyzing the building I came to the conclusion that while this house seems totally modern it

still has some elements in it that come from the Japanese culture and way of thinking about

architecture. The first thing that is noticeable is vagueness between inside and outside. In this case it

is not a veranda that is the buffer between inside and outside, but the whole courtyard is in this zone

inside/outside. By having these courtyards open at the roof at all times the changing of seasons and

night and day is visible. In this house the tatami is not the measurement for the building but there is

room made for tatami which is more a symbol for meditation or tea ceremony these days. While

meditating there must be a view towards the gardens. In this case it didn’t matter where the tatami

room is placed because you are surrounded by garden. This project has all of the characteristics.

Functions: the house is given some clear functions. But there still is some flexibility in the space due to the fact that there is no partitioning.

bathroom

salon

kitchen

Partitioning: The partitioning in this house is absent. This makes de floor plan flexible to change. The courtyards form the clearest partitions in the plan.


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[2.2] THE HOUSE IN PLUM GROVE, TOKYO (2003 BY KAZUYO SEJIMA)

20 GA Architect, p142

PERFORMANCE OPERATION FORM Setting: It is in a residential zone and it is facing roads north and west. It is for a young mother, a young couple and their two children. The only request from the client was to leave the scenery as it is and to have a house with cohesion like a studio.20

Entrance: In this case it is not a courtyard but more a standard entrance like a door. The shape is recognizable as a symbol for entrance

Inside/Outside: The surrounding is not a beautiful landscape, but a crowded rural space. The architect chose to have windows to frame the outside. At least that is what I think, because the window placement seems like a Sou Fujimoto project. And at is lecture he wanted to have the windows as a frame, so you look at an ugly environment as if it is a beautiful picture

Figures 17‐31: all images from GA Architect, p 142‐145


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21 GA Architect, p 142 22 GA Architect, p 142

Functions: As seen in the picture the floor plan is almost recognizable as a standard one with clear divisions for bedrooms and living rooms. But the case with this project is that they have multiple dining rooms. As Sejima said that they prepared a maximum amount of small rooms that it might change the common relationship between the numer of residents and room‐ for example, making different types of living rooms, sepereating the children’s room into a bedroom and study space, and providing an additional dining room and bedroom. Each of these small rooms were planned with shape and scale appropriate to the furniture to be accommodated. 21 Sejima also said that she imagined that in this house the relationship between the number of residents and rooms would create a freedom of choice, providing a different kind of privacy.22


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This house reminds me of the traditional houses, because of the partitioning inside the house. It is so

thin and has apertures so big and open in it that there is no privacy at all. Other traditional ideas lack

in this project like flexibility in spaces and the subtle layering from inside to outside. But they chose

to frame the outside in rather than to bring it inside.

The nature was well preserved in this project as well. The location was a spot of green full of plum

trees and Sejima said that in order to preserve this they minimized the building volume and placed it

in the center of the site to keep as many plum trees as possible.25 This project has only the first

characteristic by Thomas Daniel in it and none of the other 4.

23 Japan Architect, p 126 24 GA Architect, p 142 25 GA Architect, p142

Partitioning: According to the Japan Architect that Sejima uses the thinnest possible partitions to define the smallest possible functional spaces. Here is a case of using innovative ideas for family interactions and social relationships and give it an architectural form. 23 The rooms are partitioned with walls made of a 16mm thick steel plate. They also have apertures with different shapes in it that have no glass nor doors in them. 24 This takes away the privacy and influences the family bonds as well. Negative or positive I have no idea yet. It also creates frames in frames from room to room. There is a view throughout the rooms and it provides a all around ventilation within the house.


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[2.3] THE O HOUSE NAGOYA, AICHI, JAPAN (1988 BY TADAO ANDO)

26 GA Houses 25 – P131 27 GA Houses 25 – P131 28 GA Houses 25 – P131

PERFORMANCE OPERATION FORM Setting: This building is located in a high class residential district. There is still some greenery left, despite the metropolitan setting 26

Entrance: The entrance is hidden in the back wall off the house. But I did not understand the garage type door as a window for the bedroom.

Inside/Outside: On the eastside of the building there is a small hill covered with trees. The plan was designed to take advantage of the view in that direction. There is an opening at the second and third floor levels on the east side, and this transforms nearby trees into as Tadao Ando Like to say a “borrowed scenery”27. This opening introduces the landscape into the building and allows one to come in contact with nature. He says that the orientation is different on each floor. Ones vantage point becomes higher and one’s vision wider the landscape becomes more varied28. His desire is to inspire internal vistas within the

Figures 32‐47: all images from GA Houses, p 130‐137


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This project is all about vistas. There is always a view to nature. It captures nature inside. There was no need for trees in the inner garden itself because the trees can be seen from there as well. This project has the first 3 characteristics by Daniel.

29 Ando, p 134 30 Ando, p 135

individual and to correspond to spaces that the individual harbors within himself.29

Functions: This house is divided into kitchen bedroom living room and even tatami room. These functions might not be so flexible. All the functions are faced to the greenery or on the ground floor to the inner garden with no trees in it. It is always visible, even in all the shots made of the house there is a hint of green showing. Like in the kitchen in the second picture.

Partitioning The partitioning inside is almost not present in the interior part of the dwelling. But where there is it is thick and present in the plan. Ando says that he want to create enclosed spaces mainly by mean of thick concrete walls. The primary significance of enclosure is the place for oneself, an individual zone, within society. 30


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CONCLUSION: THE REBIRTH OF TRADITION As said in the beginning of chapter 2: After the Second World War Japan launched on a course of

rapid economic growth and the people’s value criteria changed31 says Tadao Ando. He also says that

overly dense urban and suburban populations made it impossible to preserve a feature that was

formerly most characteristic of Japanese residential architecture: intimate connection with nature

and openness to the natural world. This is what Japanese people have lost in the process of

modernization. 32 But as you can see in the latest projects not only the one by Tadao Ando,

innovative ways have been used to go back to the values of tradition. Ando also says that he does not

try to capture traditional form, but traditional Japanese feelings of space. He wants to evoke the

feeling of traditional space33 and that is what I think Sejima and Nishizawa have done as well. I quote

Tadao Ando a lot because he is one of the most outspoken about post modernism and modernism in

relation with tradition. But I do feel that Nishizawa and Sejima looked up to him as a mentor,

because their ideas about dwellings seem similar to the ideas by Ando. Like the projects by both of

them do have the feeling of a traditional space while they might not be directly related to tradition.

In order to really know what tradition is, you must be well aware of the culture. These issues of social

isolation and juvenile delinquency might not have been tackled in the same way as mentioned in the

above projects if they were done in America. Every country has its own culture and its own way of

dealing with problems. The latest projects don’t take tradition as a form, but tradition as a culture.

Even the houses from the traditional styles says more about the Japanese way of living than their

fascination for the forms or materials they used. This is the only thing you can preserve. Ando says

that he could not try to tackle these issues if it was in America or France because he is not familiar

with the Americans or the French. This relates mostly to housing but public buildings are different

because they have different issues. A quote by Ando that sums this all up is:

“…I think that one must make architecture which also addresses human relationship. By not

permitting the form to express itself ton strongly, on can encourage people to interact with

each other “34

Coming back to the quote by Kenzo Tange in the introduction the answer to what the essence of

tradition is, is not the form but the people and their culture!

31 Ando, p 138‐139 32 Ando, p 138‐139 33 Ando, p 130 34 Ando, p 131


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REFERENCES

Books/ Magazines:

Nishi, K & Hozumi, K – 1985 ‐ What is Japanese Architecture ? A Survey of Traditional Japanese architecture with a lists of sites and a map – New York: Harper & Row Publishers

JA: The Japan Architect 65‐ 2007‐ Parallel Nippon, Contemporary Japanese Architecture 1996‐2006‐ Tokyo: Shinkenchiku‐sha Co. Ltd.

GA: Architect 81 –2005 ‐ Kazuyo Sejima/Ryue Nishizawa (1987‐2006) – Tokyo: A.D.A. Edita Co. Ltd.

GA: Houses 25 – 1989 – Tokyo: A.D.A. Edita

Inoue, M – 1985 – Space in Japanese Architecture‐New York: John Weatherhill Inc.

Yagi, K –1992‐ A Japanese Touch for Your Home – Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd.

Ando, T – 1984 –Buildings, Projects and Writings –Rizzoli publications, inc

Other Media:

Copans, R & Neumanns, S. (2007) Architectures [DVD BOXSET 1‐5], France : Arte Video

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Japanese Dwellings

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