Heritage, History and Design Between East and West:

This book comprises a collection of essays on traditional machiya in Kyoto from various viewpoints and at different scales, including the urban fabric, the construction, the layout of the space plan, and building materials and details. By discussing the topic further from the various perspectives of the Dutch and Japanese scholars, we aim not only to cultivate a better understanding of machiya, but also to clarify the difference between the Netherlands and Japan in terms of ideas and approaches to preservation and regeneration of historical buildings. Concepts and approaches with respect to traditional architecture differ greatly between the Netherlands and Japan. The differences lie not only in the construction methods, respectively brick and timber construction, but also in the ways of living, as well as miscellaneous systems and regulations regarding architectural materials. Efforts to clarify such differences will promote a better understanding of each other’s culture, history and context, as well as comparative studies and a re-evaluation of ideas and approaches to preservation, regeneration and adaptive reuse of historic buildings in both countries. This book was conceived as a record of the outcomes of exchanges between students and scholars of architectural history, preservation and adaptive reuse at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) and Kyoto Institute of Technology (KIT). The exchange started when Kazuto Kasahara from KIT joined TU Delft’s RMIT (which later became the Heritage & Architecture section) as a visiting scholar from 2010 to 2011, and conducted surveys and research on preservation and adaptive reuse of historical buildings. Since then, both universities have been engaged in ongoing research and educational exchanges through KIT’s invitations to scholars from TU Delft. In February 2012, KIT hosted the international symposium The Present and Future of Preservation of Modern Architecture and invited Marie-Thérèse van Thoor and Hielkje Zijlstra to lecture. On the occasion of other symposia on preservation and adaptive reuse of historical buildings, Wessel de Jonge (November 2016) and Paul Meurs (February 2018) were invited to speak. In March 2015, Paul Meurs and Hielkje Zijlstra visited Japan to investigate possibilities for further collaboration in research and education within the KYOTO Design Lab, an institution launched by KIT and dedicated to practice-based research and innovation in, amongst others, the field of urban revitalization and architectural design. As a first joint project, KIT and TU Delft organized the design project Heritage & Machiya, involving a group of ten students from each university, from November 2015 to February 2016. Sara Stroux and Alexander de Ridder from the Netherlands and Kazuto Kasahara and Kazue Akamatsu from Japan participated in the project as instructors. The students’ works were exhibited at TU Delft in November 2016. Five TU Delft scholars spent a month in Kyoto conducting research into machiya: Hielkje Zijlstra (Nov.-Dec. 2015), Lidwine Spoormans (Jan.-Feb. 2016), Carola Hein (July-Aug. 2016), Marie-Thérèse van Thoor (Feb.-Mar. 2017), and Barbara Lubelli (July-Aug. 2017). Most of the contributions in this book present the outcomes of these study trips. Thus, TU Delft and KIT have been cultivating research and educational exchanges especially in the field of preservation and adaptive reuse of historical buildings, which are the challenges of the immediate future in the Netherlands and in Japan. The exchanges between both universities will hopefully contribute to finding solutions

Sei'ichi Shirai and subjective method of synthesis

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1988.Bibliography: leaves 96-98.If modernism in architecture is based on a rational, objective approach, Sei'ichi Shirai was a unique architect who created his own subjective value system, which resulted in isolating him from the modern movement. Educated both in Japan and in Europe, Shirai incorporated what he saw as the existential quality of western architecture into his own original designs. His subjective judgement guided the choice of trans-cultural and transhistorical architectural elements, and arranged them in a dialectic manner. This thesis examines Shirai's designs in the terms of their internal conflicts with tradition, such as those of Egypt and Greece, Shintoism and Buddhism, Jo-mon and Yayoi, and stone masonry and wood carpentry. The attitude was quite different from that of so-called modern architects, since Shirai did not deal with systematic spatial integration. Shirai's architecture emerged like an inevitable creation that was destined to exist. As a result, proponents of modernism who think of architecture in the context of the environment and who create space analytically in terms of functions and compositions, failed to appreciate his efforts. His work has the quality of so-called Post Modern architecture already in the 1950s, but his insights, being too early, failed to win him wide recognition.by Toshiaki Nagaya.M.S

Development of a framework for sustainable repair of adobe building in an urban area in Nigeria

Building with earth is still a living practice in Nigeria most especially in the northern region. Pear shaped sun-dried earth brick (tubali) was used traditionally by the Hausa in northern Nigeria. However, the use of tubali has ceased to exist in favour of the adobe blocks in both the urban and rural settlements in Nigeria. Sabon Gari, the study area is one of the urban areas in this region with buildings constructed with adobe. However, these adobe buildings are in deplorable conditions and in dire need of repair. Sabon Gari in Kaduna was selected as the thesis’ study area because of its strategic location and the dual function which the adobe buildings serve (i.e. residential and commercial purposes). This provided an opportunity to study the effect of the two activities on adobe building in an urban area. 20 compounds with buildings constructed with adobe blocks were selected and thoroughly examined. In the course of this study it was identified that the major factors inhibiting the repair of these buildings are social factors. This thesis therefore argued that with an appropriate framework these social factors can be corrected. Consequently, the adobe building in Sabon Gari can be repaired. This informed the decision to develop a repair framework through participatory approach involving the adobe building’s stakeholders, which include tenants, landlords, architects, masons and the planning authority. In the course of the development of this repair framework, this thesis draws on, and contextualises its argument on the fact that tried and tested repair strategies exists at international levels, which can be adapted to the situation in Sabon Gari. Consequently, ideas from relevant building repair literature, Terra conferences papers, earthen architecture conservation projects and adobe building repair projects were critically analysed and used in developing the proposed repair framework for Sabon Gari. To ensure the sustainability of the framework, which is one of the research aims, the content of the framework was validated by some of the stakeholders interviewed at the inception of this research. This proposal was amended based on the stakeholders’ recommendations and now has the input and approval of the stakeholders.Commonwealth Scholarship Commissio

Japanese Timer Frame Methodology: Alternative Solutions to Hawaii's Built Environment

This study EXAMINES the historical development of the Japanese tradition of wood-based residential architecture from its prehistoric beginnings up until of the end of the Edo period (1600 – 1868). It starts with a brief look into the history of traditional Japanese architecture, beginning with the construction of early dwelling housetypes developed during the early period of Japanese antiquity. This period dates back to pre-Buddhist influence and is followed by the buildings developed post Buddhist era, which includes Buddhist temples and temple complexes, Shinto shrines, and palace complexes. The historic summary culminates with the final development of the shoin style residence, which reached its final stage of development during the Edo period, and of which is the main design influence to this research document. The OBJECTIVE is to develop a background understanding of the history of traditional Japanese architecture, particularly its wood joinery component, and how it affected the evolution and development of the design features of the Edo period Japanese house. The FOCUS of the study is to look at the distinct architectural features that characterize the shoin style and make this type of residential architecture unique to Japan, such as its modular system of measure and construction, the application of a wood joinery method of construction, its flexible and multi-functional spatial layout, built in furnishings, and the buildings architectural relationship between interior and exterior environments. The GOAL is to primarily develop an understanding of the architectural qualities that are distinct to Japanese residential architecture and to apply some of the things learned to enhance contemporary wood-based building design and residential living in Oahu, in an effort to ensure the preservation and continuation of the knowledge of this form of construction methodology. The goal is to also look at alternative methods of wood-based construction and the use of reclaimed building materials local to Oahu that may be applicable when considering the traditional Japanese building methodology

Modernity at Home: The Body, Taste and Middle-class Lives in Japan, 1890-1939

This study explores the subtle relationship between middle-class lives and domestic architecture in modern Japan. I revisit the fifty-year period, 1890-1939, when Japan saw the rise of mass production and mass media, focusing on changing attitudes towards the body, space and family relations from a social-anthropological viewpoint. My particular interest is the duality of taste. There was the public taste being widely circulated and objectified as a prevailing floor arrangement of a house, whilst ordinary people personalised it through economic practices and appropriated the interiors based on their own tastes. This study revolves around the shaping of the dual meanings of the term shumi. From the late 1900s onward, an active involvement in shumi (recreations) was increasingly recognised as a vehicle which enabled people to internalise a good shumi (taste) in the private sphere. This conceptualisation stood on an adherence to Romanticism and new awareness of personal expressions including clothing and furnishing as mirrors of individuality. In other words, the Japanese were motived to become ‘individuals’ through the refinement of shumi in both taste and recreation. A growing number of the middle classes were keen to consume recreational activities, and their constructed subjectivity began to play a key role in ‘leisurising’ domestic spaces to achieve the Romanticised ideal of ‘home’ in an era of capitalism. This study examines the advice manuals, women’s press, publicity of private homebuilders and old questionnaires surveying uses of rooms of middle-class dwellings, to demonstrate the homogeneity as well as multiplicity in terms of how domestic and ‘leisurised’ spaces were perceived. I believe that the coexistence of various perspectives towards the built forms echoed differences in needs, preferences and tastes and was the quality discerned as modernity

Preserving A Fragile Cultural Heritage Destination: Decoding and Encoding the MoGao Caves

The cultural heritage tourism industry has been on a constant expansion in China across the past decades. A growing volume of regional municipalities and investors is actively participating in developing and transforming the cultural heritage sites into tourism destinations. While the mass tourism and its continuous escalation are bringing tremendous success to regional economy, it is also significantly challenging the material integrity of fragile cultural heritage destinations. Such an issue is exposed most acutely at the Mogao Caves, an archaeological cave-temple ensemble in northwestern China. This thesis lays out the cultural heritage preservation framework and the growing tourism economy in China, dissects the preservation issues and challenges presence at the Mogao Caves, evaluates current Mogao Caves visitation design and narratives, seeks guidance and possible resolutions via international case studies faced with similar challenges, and eventually proposes a vision and plan of redevelopment that aims at encounter-balancing the diverse challenges by integrating findings discovered in the research process

Conservation of Earth Heritage: an approach for a new methodology

Earthen heritage represents an important legacy regarding construction history, building technology, and expertise development, with a significant cultural value that must be preserved. Moreover, according to UNESCO, about 10% of the World Heritage is built with earth, and 57% of it is in danger. Although the interest regarding earthen heritage has grown in the last years, there is still a lack of knowledge in material characterization, especially from conservation science point-of-view. Regarding intervention methodology, professionals working with earthen heritage struggle to find the best solutions, since most of the times, empirical methods and scientific research are not combined. A holist approach is necessary to improve the applied methodology for conservation practices. Additionally, products available for building heritage preservation were extensively studied for stone based monuments, however, they are also being used in earthen ones, without the same research program. Although synthetic products can represent a solution to restore and conserve historical buildings, one may not forget that earthen heritage is associated with ancient maintenance techniques employing natural and local products that in some countries are still used. The act of consolidating a degraded surface is, in the conservation field, one of the most sensitive points, since the options available do not offer reliable solutions. Most of the time, the product applied, specifically in earthen heritage, do not embrace two of the most important aspects: compatibility and reversibility. The same is applied to protective treatments against water since these types of products should work on the material top layers and should have a maintenance plan. The aim of this project can be divided into three parts: draw the attention from conservation science to earthen heritage; understand which methodology is being used in conservation works; test products for consolidation and water protection from synthetic and natural origin to evaluate their efficiency and possible use.A arquitectura em terra constitui um importante legado respeitante à história e evolução da tecnologia da construção, bem como do desenvolvimento das competências humanas, contendo um significativo valor cultural que deve ser preservado. De acordo com a UNESCO, cerca de 10% do Património Mundial é construído em terra, sendo que 57% do mesmo se encontra em perigo. Nos últimos anos assistiu-se a um crescente interesse na preservação património em terra, no entanto existe ainda uma falta de conhecimento na caracterização do material, especialmente do ponto de vista da conservação. No que respeita a metodologia de intervenção, os profissionais que trabalham com património em terra enfrentam dificuldades em encontrar as melhores soluções, uma vez que na maior parte das vezes não existe uma ligação entre a investigação científica e o conhecimento empírico. É necessária uma abordagem holística para melhorar a metodologia de intervenção. Os produtos disponíveis para a conservação de património imóvel foram amplamente estudados para monumentos em pedra, no entanto são aplicados nos edificados em terra, sem a mesma pesquisa de base. Embora os produtos comerciais ou sintéticos possam representar uma possível solução para a conservação dos edifícios históricos, não devemos esquecer que o património em terra está associado a uma prática milenar de técnicas de manutenção onde eram usados (e em alguns países ainda são usados) produtos naturais e locais. Na área da conservação, o processo de consolidação é considerado uma das acções mais sensíveis, uma vez que as opções disponíveis nem sempre oferecem as melhores soluções. Maioritariamente, os produtos aplicados, especialmente no património em terra, não obedecem a dois aspectos fundamentais: compatibilidade e reversibilidade. O mesmo acontece com os produtos hidrorrepelentes, uma vez que os mesmos devem actuar à superfície e como tal, devem estar sujeitos a um plano de manutenção. O objectivo deste projecto encontra-se dividido em três partes: envolver as ciências da conservação no estudo do património em terra; compreender as metodologias utilizadas em trabalhos de conservação neste tipo de património; e testar em laboratório produtos consolidantes e hidrorrepelentes de origem sintética e natural de forma a avaliar a sua eficácia e possível utilização

Shibusa: extracting beauty

Shibusa – Extracting Beauty celebrates a number of artistic endeavours: music, painting and the skill of making in general with particular reflection upon Japanese aesthetics. Composer, Monty Adkins and visual artist, Pip Dickens (through a Leverhulme Trust Award collaboration) investigate commonality and difference between the visual arts and music exploring aspects of rhythm, pattern, colour and vibration as well as outlining processes utilised to evolve new works within these practices. The hand-cut paper Katagami stencil: a beautiful utilitarian object once used to apply decoration on to Japanese kimonos, is used as a poignant symbol – the ‘hand-made machine’ - by Adkins and Dickens both within the production of paintings and sound compositions and as a thematic link throughout the book. The book reviews examples of a number of contemporary artists and craftspeople and their individual approaches to ‘making things well’. It explores the balance between hand skills and technology within a work’s production with particular reference to Richard Sennett’s review of material culture in The Craftsman. Shibusa – Extracting Beauty includes contributing essays by arts writer, Roy Exley, who examines convergence and crossover within the arts and an in-depth history, and review, of the kimono making industry by Kyoto designer, Makoto Mori

Mangroves degradation: a local perspective on its awareness

Mangroves in Malaysia reside on the coastlines, and the largest areas of mangrove are in the Northern Sabah. Over the past decades, mangrove species have been reported to be disappearing from the globe. It is due to several natural processes that have been inserted to fill the needs of the increased population. These include illegal logging, agriculture activities and urbanisation. In this regards, awareness of the local residents about the problem of mangrove depletion is important to inhibit the problem to prolong further.Therefore, this research was conducted to determine the degree of awareness of local residents on the importance of mangroves in managing environmental quality. Consequently, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 103 respondents to examine their awareness on the subject of mangrove degradation.The respondents were selected randomly among local residents of Kuala Selangor district.It is found that only twenty percent of the total number of respondents are totallyaware of the issue and acted upon it; either taking part in the endeavours made by the government as well as those with the nongovernmental bodies or practicing mangroves replanting at their backyard

HERITAGE 2022. International Conference on Vernacular Heritage: Culture, People and Sustainability

Vernacular architecture, tangible and intangible heritage of great importance to European and global culture, represents the response of a society culturally linked to its territory, in terms of climate and landscape. Its construction features are born from the practical experience of the inhabitants, making use of local materials, taking into consideration geographical conditions and cultural, social and constructive traditions, based on the conditions of the surrounding nature and habitat. Above all, it plays an essential role in contemporary society as it is able to teach us important principles and lessons for a respectful sustainable architecture. Vernacular Heritage: Culture, People and Sustainability will be a valuable source of information for academics and professionals in the fields of Environmental Science, Civil Engineering, Construction and Building Engineering and ArchitectureMileto, C.; Vegas López-Manzanares, F.; Cristini, V.; García Soriano, L. (2022). HERITAGE 2022. International Conference on Vernacular Heritage: Culture, People and Sustainability. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/HERITAGE2022.2022.15942EDITORIA