Jutakutokushu 2017:08 Special Issue

To feature house designs through the decades, The Japanese House: Architecture and Life after 1945 includes 75 houses by over 50 architects. The projects are divided into 13 themes such as Earthy Concrete, Play, and Unmarketable and presented using models, drawings, and photographs. The Japanese have experienced drastic social and environmental changes related to the WW II recovery period leading to rapid economic growth, pollution, the bubble economy and collapse, and natural disasters. Commissioned by individual homeowners, Japanese architects have responded to these changes by developing ideas for new ways of living, expressed through the architecture of the house. A distinguishing feature of Japan is the large proportion of young people owning land and engaging architects. These clients have generally studied residential designs closely before approaching the architect, therefore the resulting new homes tend to be on the experimental side. Text in English and Japanese.