Contemporary Japanese Houses

Over forty projects showcase the immense variety among Japanese detached houses constructed over the past three years. Some of these houses are designed around the concept of intermediate space featuring courtyards, landscapes, and tearooms. Others take how to respond to the environment as the design theme, employing green building techniques and outdoor insulation, etc; while still others are inspired by the question of how to implement ones lifestyle, focusing on urban housing, family reconstitution, and variability.

Readers will learn about the meaning of and the story behind these designs through project descriptions, experiencing the conciseness which defines Japanese house design.

In addition to this, Professor Zhao Xiang from Fukuoka University discusses the reasons for this diversity. His informative description of architecture and design theory will help the reader understand the methods behind Japanese house creation, and this book also includes useful reference materials, which can be used as a basis for new houses in the Japanese style.

Contents: Foreword; 1. Reasons for Diversity of Japanese Houses; 2. Basic Residence Requirements of Housing; 3. Issues on Living Space; 3.1 Family and Living Behaviors; 3.2 Development and Change of Housing; 3.3 Mood of Residents; 3.4 Environment and Collective Living; 4. Two Aspects of the Housing Design; 4.1 Behavior Subjects; 4.2 Space Form; 5. Design Themes of Different Housing; 5.1 Stereoscopic Minimized House (1950); 5.2 Standard Design of Housing Types (1951); 5.3 Personal House (1953); 5.4 Personal House (1954); 5.5 Sky House (1958); 5.6 Umbrella-shaped House (1962); 5.7 Azuma House (1976); 5.8 Sliver Cap (1984); 5.9 The Bridge House of Japan (1992); 5.10 Furniture House (1995); 5.11 House in Plum Grove (2003); 5.12 T House (2005); References; Case Studies.

After his graduation from Xian University of Architecture and Technology and Tsinghua University Zhao Xiang worked at the Design Institute of the Ministry of Commerce for nearly ten years. He then continued his studies in Japan and completed his Masters and PhD qualifications at the University of Tokyo and eventually got his PhD in engineering. After working for Okada & Associates in Tokyo for four years, he became a full-time teacher at Fukuoka University. He is now a professor and serves as Director of the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering in the graduate school and as Dean of Studies of the Department of Architecture in the Faculty of Engineering.

A reference book designed to showcase the immense variety of modern Japanese architecture

All projects featured in the book were completed in the last three years

The author is a professor from Fukuoka University, with wide experience in both teaching and designing