Japanese Architecture: An Exploration of Elements & Forms

Description

Thick thatched roofs and rough mud plaster walls. Intricate carved wood transoms and precisely woven tatami mats-each element of traditional Japanese architecture tells a story. These stories encompass the particular development, construction, function and symbolism inherent in historic architectural elements. From roofs, walls and floors to door pulls and kettle hangers, this book situates these elements firmly within the natural environment and traditional culture of Japan. This book provides a comprehensive perspective of traditional Japanese architecture, relating the historical development and context of the buildings and gardens of Japan while examining the stories of the individual architectural elements.

Mira Locher is an architect and professor who works in the U.S. and Japan. She studied at Smith College before receiving her Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania. After working for Team Zoo Atelier Mobile in Japan for seven years, she set up an architectural practice in the U.S. with Takayuki Murakami. Mira Locher is Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Manitoba (Canada). She is the author of Super Potato Design, Zen Gardens and Zen Garden Design. Ben Simmons grew up in Columbus, Georgia. He studied photography and psychology in Upstate New York before completing a Master of Fine Arts in photography and art history at the University of Florida. Simmons taught photography at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina before relocating to Japan. Ben Simmons Photography Inc. is based on the Miura Peninsula seacoast at Sagami Bay, just south of Tokyo. Ben specializes in photoessays and book projects. Recent books include Tokyo Desire; Hong Kong: The City of Dreams; Thailand: 9 Days in the Kingdom; Platinum Images of Thai Buddhism, Tokyo Megacity and Kyoto: City of Zen. Visit his website at www.bensimmonsphoto.com. Kengo Kuma was born in Kanagawa, Japan, and completed a major in architecture at the University of Tokyo. Kengo Kuma & Associates, his own studio, was established in 1990. He also worked as a visiting professor on the faculty of environmental information at Keio University. In 1997 he won the prestigious Architectural Institute of Japan Award for his work on "recovering the tradition of Japanese buildings" and reinterpreting it for the 21st century. In 2008, Kuma earned his Ph.D. from Keio University, and he is currently a professor on the faculty of science and technology there, in the department of system design engineering.

"Mira Locher makes the observation that tradition only exists as an idea when it is challenged or superseded by the new. In her first-rate resource book on traditional design you will learn a great deal about construction methods, in which the use of natural materials encouraged a responsible attitude toward conservation." --The Japan Times "It describes architectural components thoroughly, exactingly, and lovingly identifying them all with Japanese terms. Overall, this is a delightful book of photographs and a useful...guide for Japanophile architects and designers." --Choice magazine "Designers, architects, artists, and anyone with a love of Japanese traditional culture will enjoy this book." --Library Journal