contemporary nature of “chochiku-kyo” -from … · 2007. 4. 26. · contemporary nature of...

CONTEMPORARY NATURE OF “CHOCHIKU-KYO” -FROM SUSTAINABLE BUILDING PERSPECTIVE-

Akira MATSUKUMA1

1 TAKENAKA Corporation, 1-1-1, Shinsuna, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 136-0075, Japan,

[email protected]

Keywords: experimental residence, the Japanese dwelling-house, timeless design, life-style, natural material

Summary

There is the wooden residence built nearly 80 years ago in Ohyamazaki, Kyoto, Japan named Chochiku-kyo – residence listening to the sound of bamboos. Chochiku-kyo was the private residence and the last experimental residence by late Kouji FUJII, architect and environmental engineer. From the perspective of sustainable building, Chohiku-kyo is innovative in the contemporary context in the following two aspects.

◆ Japanese climate and natural environment were analyzed by environmental engineering and the resulted

findings were reflected in design.

Kouji FUJII was among the first Japanese architects to tap the environmental engineering, the discipline

he established, in improving the Japanese dwelling-house. In order to make residences best fit to the

Japanese climate, he prescribed theories on daylighting, draft/breeze, ventilation and insulation from the

scientific approach. His views on essential facilities required for residence were unveiled in his book,

The Japanese Dwelling-House. At the same time, he experimented and practiced his theories and

views in his experimental private residence, which was culminated in Chouchiku-kyo.

◆ Western and Japanese technologies and design tastes, including the life-style, were integrated.

Fujii, generally speaking, tried three perspectives: ① Floor and section plans blended the style sitting

on the chairs and that on the floors reflecting the lifestyle of the Japanese people. ② Use natural

material. ③ The sophisticated fusion of the Western and Japanese design was intended by regarding

the International Style design, emerging in Europe at that time, equivalent to the Japanese traditional

Sukiya architecture.

1. Introduction – “Sustainable Building” and “Chouchiku-kyo”- “Sustainable Building”, in essence, should mean the “building to realize the sustainable society”. Namely, “sustainable building” is “the building designed so as to realize the concept of sustainability in the broader perspective”. The building design enables to encompass and send the message of the greatness of “sustainable society”, which is the contemporary nature of the innovativeness of Chouchiku-kyo. The residence designed and built over 80 years ago, when the term “sustainable” did not exist, raised two points for considerations:

◆ Japanese climate and natural environment were analyzed by environmental engineering and the resulted

findings were reflected in design.

◆ Western and Japanese technologies and design tastes, including the life-style, were integrated.

The 2005 World Sustainable Building Conference,Tokyo, 27-29 September 2005 (SB05Tokyo)

- 462 -

01-067

2. Improvement of Residence –With Environmental Engineering Fujii Established- Kouji FUJII was among the first architect to improve the Japanese dwelling-house tapping the environmental engineering Fujii himself established. Fujii’s approach to the residence was summarized in his theory book, “The Japanese Dwelling-House”(Fig. 1) and in his private residence practicing his theory, Chouchiku-kyo (Photo 1). “The Japanese Dwelling-House” is consisted of 6 chapters: Preface, Japanese style residence and Western style residence, Climate of Japan, HVAC, HVAC for summer and Tastes, each chapter is

elaborated in the scientific approach. As an example, in the chapter on HVAC, the importance of ventilation is highlighted. In Japan, with high temperature and humidity during summer, instead of increasing air tightness of each room as in the case of Western style residence, Fujii called for the large cubic space for the ventilation in case of the Japanese dwelling-house as “the residences in Japan were traditionally based on the principle of “one room space in one residence”. In Chouchiku-kyo, in order not to have high air-tightness in any room, transoms are designed with Shouji slides (Photo 2). Fresh air taken in (Photo 3),via transom windows in each room, air exhaust laid out in the ceiling of engawa or verandah and corridor (Photo 4) and garret, is exhausted to draft window on the gable end (Photo 5). Venting columns (vertical shaft) directly connecting the under-the-floor and the garret are carefully located within the kitchen in low profile.

Photo 1 Overview of Chouchiku-kyo

Figure. 1 The Japanese Dwelling-House by Kouji FUJII, published in 1928, Iwanami-shoten


This system enables the appropriate draft in the rooms and serves for the ventilation of the garret in high temperature during summer.

Fujii, in order to discover the residence adopting to the Japanese climate and living customs, identified the advantages and disadvantages of the leading features of the Japanese-style residence and those of the

Western-style residences. Followingly, he established his theory with the scientific analysis of daylighting, draft, ventilation, thermal insulation among others. His approach on the fundamental HVAC arrangement required in the residence is included in “The Japanese Dwelling-House” (Chart 1. HVAC Invented for Environmental Adjustment). He, then, practiced and tested the theory in his own experimental residence, which was culminated in the 5th experimental house, Chouchiku-kyo. Chouchiku-kyo can be referred to as the passive building, not the “closed box” against nature but the “open box” tapping the climate and natural environment.

Photo 2 Living Room

Photo 3 Cool tube, Living Room Photo 4 Ventilation, ceiling of veranda

Photo 5 Draft window


Chart 1 HVAC Invented for Environmental Adjustment

Area HVAC Intent

Floor plans Align along double south-north lines Adjust solar radiation

Move furniture corresponding to the Adjust solar radiation

heat/cold

Program veranda Adjust solar radiation

Openness, Living Room in center, Promote air flow

Movable partitions, Transom windows

Consider main wind direction in the floor Promote air flow

planning

Wall Clay wall on bamboo lathing and brick Isolate heat

wall preferred

Articulate the void within the wall Insulate heat

Distribute fresh air in the void within the For cooling

wall

Under-the-Floor Under-the floor draft, ventilation Remove humidity

Ventilation column: intake air under For cooling (security)

ground sill

Ventilation column: in-room ventilation For cooling (security)

column/opening

Roof Kawara tile roof, Ventilation opening Isolate heat

Use garret, ventilation window on Cooling

gable end wall

(Ventilation window closed during winter) Conserve heat

Deep eaves Adjust solar radiation &

protect the house from

rain

Climate conditions Consider temperature distribution Cooling and ventilation

at the house peripheral

Consider air flow distribution Cooling and ventilation

at the house peripheral

Tap the temperature difference Cooling and ventilation

between under-the-floor and garret

Take fresh air at 4:00 p.m. and later Cooling and ventilation

during summer

Windows Sliding windows Ventilation

Double window, glazing/paper Shouji Conserve heat and

prevent wind

Light scattering feature of paper Shouji Daylighting

THE SOURCE；UDC：697．112：551．5：72．011：728「THE THEORY AND DESIGN OF BIOCLIMATIC ARCHITECTURE DEVELOPED BY KOJI FUJII」（by Dr．TETSUMI HORIKOSHI and HIDETSUGU HORIKOSHI）


3. Integration of Western and Japanese Technologies and Design Tastes

3.1 Living Room Centered Planning – Prototype of Dwelling House- For the sustainability, it is important to show the prototype planning which can be succeeded over the time. The floor plan of the maing building of Chouchiku-kyo (Fig.2) is similar to living room-in type in the

contemporary planning and is well applicable to the current days. Japan promoted the Westernization in Meiji to Taisho era (1867-1926) In early Shouwa ( 1926-1934), the upper class built Western and Japanese style building, separately, which illustrates that the Western and the Japanese style building did not coexist. On the other hand, the movement on the half-Western and half-Japanese residence for middle-class addressing to the emerging middle class concentrated in the urban cities as a result of the urbanization peaked in early 1920’s. In this Japanized Western residence, the innovative planning, “hall-type residence with living room and dining room in the center”, was recommended. Chouchiku-kyo is in “hall-type residence with living room and dining room in the center” layout concentrating pubic or guest space in the entrance hall leaving the maximum space allocated for the family.

Photo 6 Living Room

Fig. 2 Floor plan, Chouchiku-kyo, prepared by Building Design Dept., Takenaka Corporation in 2000

Photo 6 Living Room Photo 7 Dining Room

Living‐room

Drawing ‐room

Veranda

▲

Kitchen

Bedroom Bedroom Bedroom Closet

Dining-room

Maid’ｓroom

Family reading-room

The main building The pavilion（Kanshitsu）

▲


The living room in the center (Photo 6) is not so comfortable due to the disintegrated forms with openings in the peripheral while it is relaxing and refreshing when actually spending time in the neighboring dining room (Photo 7), drawing room (Photo 8), veranda (Photo 9) and reading room. The living room, serving as the transitional space, creates the space fluidity and good space sequence. Fujii should have tried to realize the space for family members coming together for exchanges in penetrating and continuing space with the living room in the center. The rich space for family members was created: each family member secures his/her own space while being connected.

3.2 Timeless Design Current residential area in Japan is flooded with houses without any established nationality neither Western nor Japanese. We, Japanese, are no more conscious about what is Japanese and what is Western. Accordingly, we are somewhat shocked with the excellence of Chouchiku-kyo in which the Western and Japanese style are blended in the harmonized manner. 20th century was the period that buildings in International Style fully covered the globe. Single style applicable to the globe easily comes to the limit from the sustainability point of view because the climate surrounding the site on which the building is built and the people living in the building are widely varied while being in coexistence in every corner of the globe. Fujii felt uncomfortable and threatening being amid either Westernization of the building promoted by the Japanese government since the Meiji era or then emrging International Style. The design Fujii tried, in the contemporary term, is the “timeless design” (design which has the fresh appeal attracting people’s attachment regardless of the temporal popularity). “Happy integration of the Japanese and Western style”, the sincere approach independent from the temporal popularity, was consisted of three aspects: ① floor and section plans blending the style sitting on the chairs and that on the floors; the building program reflecting the local living habit ② natural material used in the traditional Japanese Sukiya architecture ③ fusion of the Western and Japanese design. Especially in ③, the unique design was

created with the sophisticated fusion of the both by regarding the International Style design, emerging in Europe at that time, equivalent to the Japanese traditional Sukiya style. (Photo 10.~ 13) Fujii’s unique

Photo 8 Drawing Room Photo 9 Veranda

Photo 10 Detail, Entrance Hall Photo 11 Detail, Clock


design, with modern touch while reminding us of the sweet old home, has the appealing power to us over the time.

4． Being Unintentionally Yet Intentionally Beautiful – Integration of Energy Conserving Technologies in the Design-

The design has the power to lead the people follow the lifestyle for the sustainable society. It is not to convince and force the users of buildings and/or those to build buildings to follow a certain lifestyle. Instead, the design should naturally navigate them to choose from among the options best for the sustainable society, which requires not only the fully calculated/artificial beauty but the unintentional beauty. Instead of arrogantly expressing the message such as “we are doing our best for the energy conservation” on the exterior and interior appearance, our target should be the total integration of the energy conserving technologies in the design : the first exterior skin is in the design which is naturally beautiful, which, in essence and in background, encompasses the energy conserving technologies. Energy conserving buildings, which should be a part of eco-system including human beings, should neither destroy landscape nor isolate the people. The forms of the eco-system is indeed beautifully designed from DNA level through planets including the earth. Accordingly, if the design follows the eco-system, it reaches the unintentionally yet intentionally beautiful design.

Chouchiku-kyo (Photo 14), designed over 80 years ago when there were no environmental engineering or air conditioning units, represents unintentional beauty responding to the Japanese climate and people’s mindset with the intentional design and engineering in the background, which enhances its charms.

Fujii, in his leading book, “The Japanese Dwelling-House”, left the famous sentence; The architecture representing the country is the dwelling-house architecture. This sentence reflects Fujii’s pride as the dwelling house architect. Also this sentence challenges us in the contemporary time. From the sustainability point of view, I doubt how much our residence has been improved. The current status of the buildings, represented by living environment and residences, in Japan is not yet sustainable. As the quantity of the buildings is satisfactory, it is high time for us to thoroughly pursue the “residence fits to the physics of the Japanese people, truly addressing the Japanese climate and natural environment” and sustainable buildings unintentionally yet intentionally beautiful as Fujii challenged.

Photo 14 Overview I taken upon the completion, The Japanese Dwelling-House by K. FUJII

Photo 12 Detail, Lighting Living Room Photo 13 Detail, Lighting Drawing Room


References Fujii, K. 1928 The Japanese Dwelling-House, iwanami-shoten（Japanese version）

Fujii, K. 1930 The Japanese Dwelling-House, meiji-syobou（English translate version）

Fujii, K. 1929, Drawings of Chouchiku-kyo, Iwanami-shoten

Fujii, K. 1932 Drawing of Chouchiku-kyo Part II, Tanakaheian-dou

Fujii, K. 1934, Tokonoma, Japanese, Tanakaheian-dou

Fujioka,Ｈ. 1995, Contemporary interpretation of Chouchiku-kyo. In SOLAR CAT 20 Spring Issue

Fujimori, T. 2003 European Buildings in Japan, Vol. 5 Showa-Era 1, Koudansha

Ishida, J. 1990, Preface to Space in Japanese Taste by Kouji Fujii, Japanese “Japanese View and Another Space in Modern Design Exhibit” Record, Saison Art Museum

Ishida, J. 1991, Chouchiku-kyo, Contemporary Japanese House, Japanese Gakugei-shuppan

Ohkawa,Ｍ, et al.”1997 Record of History of Modern Architecture, Japanese, Shoukokusha

Onobayasi,Ｈ. 1976, Kouetsu in Ooyamazaki- History of House in Showa Era-, Japanese, Shinkenchiku

Takenaka Corporation, 2000, Special Feature on Chouchiku-kyo, Approach, Winter Issue

Buidling Design Dept., Takenaka Corporation, 2001, Field Measurement of Chouchiku-kyo, the residence in symbiosis with the environment, Japanese, Shoukokusha

Yokoyama, T 1976 50 Years of Houses – History of House in Showa Era-, Japanese, Shinkenchiku-sha


contemporary nature of “chochiku-kyo” -from … · 2007. 4. 26. · contemporary nature of...

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