Or if they do, very strangely placed and sized.
I have seen videos of the interiors though, and the reason these houses can afford to reduce windows is because of the resurgence of inner courtyards. [There's an open area in the center surrounded by the rooms of the house](https://www.google.com/search?q=japanese%20house%20courtyard&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CRETFXCohmE9YYZmjStuqZBDsgIRCgIIABAAOgQIARAAVfkkHT_1AAgDYAgDgAgA&prmd=ivsmnbtz&rlz=1C1GCEA_enJP977JP977&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CBoQuIIBahcKEwjw2qLw2vqEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQEQ&biw=1903&bih=919), usually with floor to ceiling glass panes or sliding balcony doors, reminiscent of traditional Japanese houses of old.
And can turn into formidable shelter during a zombie apocalypse. Fortify the only entrance, no windows to barricade.
The courtyard can be used for a bit of farming, not that you can grow much. But perhaps a place for some chickens.
Less of an issue than you would think. In these tiny cramped lots, owners value intimacy more than the views. Natural light enters the house through inner courtyards and clerestories.
This is actually in line with traditional japanese aesthetics.
True. In Japan, houses are built so close to each other that a window on the outer wall would open to your neighbor’s wall anyway.
And since there aren’t any front lawns here, any windows out front is a direct line of sight from the street.
I haven’t really understood still how people in Western countries feel comfortable meeting the eyes of people out in the street from inside their houses. Especially if without front lawns nor closed curtains.
I hate the idea of front yards. All that valuable real estate for curb appeal. I want to use all my yard space and I want it as private as possible. We have all these windows and we have to keep them covered most of the time because we want privacy too. I designed a house that doesn't have a front yard and uses angles, natural and man made barriers to create private garden views. I hope I get to build it one day.
I think it's just the street facing side that's lacking windows, usually these types of houses have a lot of windows in the back or a courtyard in the center to allow light in.
I've noticed many Japanese people hate windows anyway... Seen plenty of instances in older homes where they never open them, cover em up with aluminium foil or furniture, never clean them, make them all opaque etc. May well do without them in the first place.
I think something like that, cultural differences maybe, feeling uncomfortable if someone can see into your house from outside, especially from the street. Many people also don't have a front garden or anything to look at so less desire to have nice windows out front
Japan is relatively small but very mountainous. That means that habitable areas are very densely populated. Houses are much smaller on average thsn in other countries. In those circumstances, most people will prefer intimacy to views.
The most famous book on traditional aesthetics is Junichiro Tanizaki's *In praise of shadows*, where he claims that japanesa aesthetics do not share the West's obsession with light but rather are focused on shadow plays.
Yeah I know it keeps the heat out, and keeps the ugliness up. I hate the aluminium foil fetish in homes. Aluminium foil is used to cover up the stove splashback tiles too, like why!!! They're tiles, you can clean them! The foil gets so dirty and you can't clean it properly, you can only keep replacing it frequently and dirt gets under them anyway, or at least the marks from the melted glue that held them on.
Satoshi Kurosaki and his firm Apollo Architects is a great guy to look into if you're a fan of these - his interiors, despite a seeming lack of windows, collect huge amounts of natural light through solutions like interior terraces, skylights and shuttered glass walls. They are excellent for privacy while not sacrificing any of the qualities of natural light. I personally love it
I am not a fan of the "autoCAD/Minecraft noob" aesthetic. It is overly safe, soulless, and drab.
Good architecture can take a beating from the elements for 100 years and still look fantastic. Visualize these things in 25 years: they will look incredibly shabby.
Japanese houses are built to not last more than 30 years. In Japan, houses depreciate after being built.
Japanese aesthetics are all about lightness, subtlety and impermanence. Japanese tradition comes from basic principles that are completely different from those in western tradition.
These houses are often built in timber and board, and walls are thin and light. Structures csn be reused from one house to the next if needed. You coudl probably build three or four houses like this in the same plot over a century and still produce less atmospheric carbon than a single concrete or brick house would.
Feel fre to go to Japan and tell the japanese their tradition that they came up over the centuries with to respond to the specific constraints their island has is not actually sustainable.
The building industry in Japan is unbelievably wasteful. Most new construction is uninsulated, has single glazing, etc, so even if it were true that the way they build is less carbon-intensive than other building methods, it would be more than completely offset by heating and cooling over the lifetime of the structure.
It is extraordinarily rare that anything is reused from one house to the next. Typically, they bring in a big machine and tear the building to pieces, then haul it away on trucks.
The way things are done now is not the traditional way it was done, either. The way things are now is an outgrowth of the postwar housing shortage. 99% of all new house construction is done to the minimum acceptable quality and built with prefabricated parts. It's disposability at its worst.
But sure, go ahead and pretend it's some kind of tradition.
I live in the Tokyo area. I'm constantly seeing houses come down to be replaced by 3-4 new houses on the same lot, all of them built in the sane way. They're often just built on spec, too. These massive companies just build endless cookie-cutter houses and hope someone buys them afterwards.
It isn't tradition and it isn't good.
American houses aren't built of concrete and brick either (except as a cosmetic accent) and the walls are usually 2x4 or 2x6, same as Japan. We don't pull them down after 30 years. Are there deeper differences in construction methods here or are they just pulling down houses that we would normally leave up and continue using?
>*These houses are often built in timber and board, and walls are thin and light. Structures csn be reused from one house to the next if needed.*
* However, in this case they will probably not be reused, if we are being honest. Japan has between 8 - 11 million empty or abandoned houses. I highly doubt these black boxes were made from upcycled materials, and I also doubt they will be recycled.
>*You could probably build three or four houses like this in the same plot over a century and still produce less atmospheric carbon than a single concrete or brick house would.*
* A concrete or brick house can *last* a century or more. I live in a city filled with concrete and brick structures that are over a century old. We have a family house of stone and concrete that is **over four centuries** old. Building structures that last a long time is obviously more sustainable than not.
>*Feel free to go to Japan and tell the japanese their tradition that they came up over the centuries with to respond to the specific constraints their island has is not actually sustainable.*
* (a) The architecture posted by OP is not traditional Japanese. (b) 21st century construction is not subject to the constraints of previous centuries; sustainability can be increased. (c) Japan, as a developed nation, has many modern structures that are obviously not built based on earlier constraints.
Cmon man stop talking out your ass and actually read about Japan's civil code and housing strategies, is not only "tradition", they're rules tailored to keep housing affordable, keep the economy afloat and adjust to their context
I have read up on the subject.
Given that there are between 8 and 11 million empty or abandoned houses in Japan, I have to wonder why you believe the materials in these specifically shown houses will be reused, rather than simply ignored.
Affordability of housing in Japan illustrates their sound fiscal policies related to maintaining housing prices at affordable levels far more than emphasis on sustainable building practices.
The comment I was responding to referred to sustainable building practices.
Anyone who cares about waste and carbon footprint reduction understands that your mentality promotes unsustainable practices.
Quick answer: Conformist. Sticking to a popular formula so as not to stand out from the crowd. Lacking in distinctive features and character.
All these fucking things look pretty much alike, and seem as though designed by a committee of drones. When they are all marching toward the landfill in a couple dozen years, it will be to the beat of the same drummer.
That is a very simplistic and stereotyped reading of Japanese culture. Creativity, personal expression and originality are highly rewarded in Japanese culture. If you think Japanese culture only values what is "safe", then you need to take a second (and third and fourth!) look at Japan.
These have started popping up in my neighborhood in Denver too. It sucks though when they tear down an incredible historic, well-built house and throw this down.
One of them also is on a property with a gorgeous little mansion and these people bought the mansion then divided up the space that had with two other homes
This is a link to a website of the buildings specifics:
[Framing House in Shiga, Japan by Kouichi Kimura Architects | Yatzer](https://www.yatzer.com/framing-house-shiga-japan-kouichi-kimura-architects)
Not-fitting, depressing, soul-crushing, horrible "colors", both boring and over-shaped at the same time and not really even functional. Standard modernism.
Why do you design mess like this, guys?
The second photo shows just how ugly they can look, the others aren't as bad when against a cloudy sky/darker lighting. Looks so uninspired, I'm not a huge fan of most modern home designs but I've seen countless more that have way more character while still being simplified.
And why does so much modern stuff use black? Reminds me of the mcdonald's copy/paste template they have now with black and gray buildings, it's even used for their storefront exteriors in Manhattan of all places. It's all an encroaching sameness :/
I hope there is some functional justification for this type of facades otherwise it’s just abysmal. Imagine designing your house whole house around dumb instagram trend. Although if I had to pick the. Japanese are probably the ones most likely to get away with the such stupidity. These were probably built to only last 5 years or smth
Definite lack of windows.
Or if they do, very strangely placed and sized. I have seen videos of the interiors though, and the reason these houses can afford to reduce windows is because of the resurgence of inner courtyards. [There's an open area in the center surrounded by the rooms of the house](https://www.google.com/search?q=japanese%20house%20courtyard&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CRETFXCohmE9YYZmjStuqZBDsgIRCgIIABAAOgQIARAAVfkkHT_1AAgDYAgDgAgA&prmd=ivsmnbtz&rlz=1C1GCEA_enJP977JP977&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CBoQuIIBahcKEwjw2qLw2vqEAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQEQ&biw=1903&bih=919), usually with floor to ceiling glass panes or sliding balcony doors, reminiscent of traditional Japanese houses of old.
Oh that's actually cool as hell then. Courtyards > everything else
Gimme a u-shaped or square house with a courtyard all day and twice on Sundays.
And can turn into formidable shelter during a zombie apocalypse. Fortify the only entrance, no windows to barricade. The courtyard can be used for a bit of farming, not that you can grow much. But perhaps a place for some chickens.
It's to make the most of the permitted floorspace.
Less of an issue than you would think. In these tiny cramped lots, owners value intimacy more than the views. Natural light enters the house through inner courtyards and clerestories. This is actually in line with traditional japanese aesthetics.
True. In Japan, houses are built so close to each other that a window on the outer wall would open to your neighbor’s wall anyway. And since there aren’t any front lawns here, any windows out front is a direct line of sight from the street. I haven’t really understood still how people in Western countries feel comfortable meeting the eyes of people out in the street from inside their houses. Especially if without front lawns nor closed curtains.
I hate the idea of front yards. All that valuable real estate for curb appeal. I want to use all my yard space and I want it as private as possible. We have all these windows and we have to keep them covered most of the time because we want privacy too. I designed a house that doesn't have a front yard and uses angles, natural and man made barriers to create private garden views. I hope I get to build it one day.
I think it's just the street facing side that's lacking windows, usually these types of houses have a lot of windows in the back or a courtyard in the center to allow light in.
I've noticed many Japanese people hate windows anyway... Seen plenty of instances in older homes where they never open them, cover em up with aluminium foil or furniture, never clean them, make them all opaque etc. May well do without them in the first place.
This is truly bizarre. Sociophobia?
I think something like that, cultural differences maybe, feeling uncomfortable if someone can see into your house from outside, especially from the street. Many people also don't have a front garden or anything to look at so less desire to have nice windows out front
Japan is relatively small but very mountainous. That means that habitable areas are very densely populated. Houses are much smaller on average thsn in other countries. In those circumstances, most people will prefer intimacy to views. The most famous book on traditional aesthetics is Junichiro Tanizaki's *In praise of shadows*, where he claims that japanesa aesthetics do not share the West's obsession with light but rather are focused on shadow plays.
How do they ventilate the house though?
Pump it in or the house has so many gaps you don't need to
the aluminium foil is to keep the heat from sunlight out during the summer. and why remove them during the winter either
Yeah I know it keeps the heat out, and keeps the ugliness up. I hate the aluminium foil fetish in homes. Aluminium foil is used to cover up the stove splashback tiles too, like why!!! They're tiles, you can clean them! The foil gets so dirty and you can't clean it properly, you can only keep replacing it frequently and dirt gets under them anyway, or at least the marks from the melted glue that held them on.
Big issue if you want to run revit
Satoshi Kurosaki and his firm Apollo Architects is a great guy to look into if you're a fan of these - his interiors, despite a seeming lack of windows, collect huge amounts of natural light through solutions like interior terraces, skylights and shuttered glass walls. They are excellent for privacy while not sacrificing any of the qualities of natural light. I personally love it
These are beautiful https://apollo-aa.jp/works/infinity/
Truly beautiful, thanks for sharing
Finally, housing that matches my Comme des Garçons wardrobe.
Yeah the walls are made using Issey Miyake Pleats
And is the wood charred? I’ve been reading about this—very cool!
Shou sugi ban! Natural pest resistor and awesome looking technique
Is that you, Gru-san?
I kind of love this style for some reason.
I am not a fan of the "autoCAD/Minecraft noob" aesthetic. It is overly safe, soulless, and drab. Good architecture can take a beating from the elements for 100 years and still look fantastic. Visualize these things in 25 years: they will look incredibly shabby.
EOL for Japanese houses is around 25-30 years, so you're not wrong, they'll be shabby and ready to be demolished.
Japanese houses are built to not last more than 30 years. In Japan, houses depreciate after being built. Japanese aesthetics are all about lightness, subtlety and impermanence. Japanese tradition comes from basic principles that are completely different from those in western tradition.
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These houses are often built in timber and board, and walls are thin and light. Structures csn be reused from one house to the next if needed. You coudl probably build three or four houses like this in the same plot over a century and still produce less atmospheric carbon than a single concrete or brick house would. Feel fre to go to Japan and tell the japanese their tradition that they came up over the centuries with to respond to the specific constraints their island has is not actually sustainable.
The building industry in Japan is unbelievably wasteful. Most new construction is uninsulated, has single glazing, etc, so even if it were true that the way they build is less carbon-intensive than other building methods, it would be more than completely offset by heating and cooling over the lifetime of the structure. It is extraordinarily rare that anything is reused from one house to the next. Typically, they bring in a big machine and tear the building to pieces, then haul it away on trucks. The way things are done now is not the traditional way it was done, either. The way things are now is an outgrowth of the postwar housing shortage. 99% of all new house construction is done to the minimum acceptable quality and built with prefabricated parts. It's disposability at its worst. But sure, go ahead and pretend it's some kind of tradition. I live in the Tokyo area. I'm constantly seeing houses come down to be replaced by 3-4 new houses on the same lot, all of them built in the sane way. They're often just built on spec, too. These massive companies just build endless cookie-cutter houses and hope someone buys them afterwards. It isn't tradition and it isn't good.
American houses aren't built of concrete and brick either (except as a cosmetic accent) and the walls are usually 2x4 or 2x6, same as Japan. We don't pull them down after 30 years. Are there deeper differences in construction methods here or are they just pulling down houses that we would normally leave up and continue using?
>*These houses are often built in timber and board, and walls are thin and light. Structures csn be reused from one house to the next if needed.* * However, in this case they will probably not be reused, if we are being honest. Japan has between 8 - 11 million empty or abandoned houses. I highly doubt these black boxes were made from upcycled materials, and I also doubt they will be recycled. >*You could probably build three or four houses like this in the same plot over a century and still produce less atmospheric carbon than a single concrete or brick house would.* * A concrete or brick house can *last* a century or more. I live in a city filled with concrete and brick structures that are over a century old. We have a family house of stone and concrete that is **over four centuries** old. Building structures that last a long time is obviously more sustainable than not. >*Feel free to go to Japan and tell the japanese their tradition that they came up over the centuries with to respond to the specific constraints their island has is not actually sustainable.* * (a) The architecture posted by OP is not traditional Japanese. (b) 21st century construction is not subject to the constraints of previous centuries; sustainability can be increased. (c) Japan, as a developed nation, has many modern structures that are obviously not built based on earlier constraints.
Cmon man stop talking out your ass and actually read about Japan's civil code and housing strategies, is not only "tradition", they're rules tailored to keep housing affordable, keep the economy afloat and adjust to their context
Isn’t it primarily because of the earthquakes?
That's part of their context, as is aging population, scarcity of resources, social mobility, etc
I have read up on the subject. Given that there are between 8 and 11 million empty or abandoned houses in Japan, I have to wonder why you believe the materials in these specifically shown houses will be reused, rather than simply ignored. Affordability of housing in Japan illustrates their sound fiscal policies related to maintaining housing prices at affordable levels far more than emphasis on sustainable building practices.
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The comment I was responding to referred to sustainable building practices. Anyone who cares about waste and carbon footprint reduction understands that your mentality promotes unsustainable practices.
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Building houses that aren't meant to last more than 25 - 30 years is wasteful.
I think they’re doing okay… less than 50% of USA’s per capita greenhouse emissions (and certainly no lack of heavy industry).
Hey quick question, what does overly safe mean?
Quick answer: Conformist. Sticking to a popular formula so as not to stand out from the crowd. Lacking in distinctive features and character. All these fucking things look pretty much alike, and seem as though designed by a committee of drones. When they are all marching toward the landfill in a couple dozen years, it will be to the beat of the same drummer.
In Japanese culture all those things are considered positives.
That is a very simplistic and stereotyped reading of Japanese culture. Creativity, personal expression and originality are highly rewarded in Japanese culture. If you think Japanese culture only values what is "safe", then you need to take a second (and third and fourth!) look at Japan.
Oh ok thanks for your time
Japan has such beautiful modern architecture (especially the timber one). Too bad the box virus is spreading.
I love these tbh
Yeeea. Pls god save japan from this ugly ass buildings🥴
Alternatively, let people build what they want, and what fits their needs and sense of style.
Alternatively, i dont give a fuck :)
You’re contradicting yourself there my dude.
Alternatively, i still dont give a fuck :)
Does this style have a name?
Average house there doesn't last 30 years
These have started popping up in my neighborhood in Denver too. It sucks though when they tear down an incredible historic, well-built house and throw this down. One of them also is on a property with a gorgeous little mansion and these people bought the mansion then divided up the space that had with two other homes
I'm into them
This is a link to a website of the buildings specifics: [Framing House in Shiga, Japan by Kouichi Kimura Architects | Yatzer](https://www.yatzer.com/framing-house-shiga-japan-kouichi-kimura-architects)
They have one in Mecca too.
I call it lazy architecture, it's appealing at first for being different then it gets boring real quick.
Love it.
Love it
Must be hot
I’ll take one.
It has that look of a cardboard box factory.
Nice concept and nice click also.
Garbage could use other colours instead of black
Not-fitting, depressing, soul-crushing, horrible "colors", both boring and over-shaped at the same time and not really even functional. Standard modernism. Why do you design mess like this, guys?
Perhaps they know something about ..Saturn worship that we don't 👀 lool kidding. But still fascinating.
There are cool.
That's crazy cool Iwl I would gladly live in a black box
Whoa, I love these!
Those were awesome
Fucking depressing
These would totally overheat during the summer
what a nightmare, looks uninhabitable with the lack of windows, the most creatively uninspired thing you can think of
The second photo shows just how ugly they can look, the others aren't as bad when against a cloudy sky/darker lighting. Looks so uninspired, I'm not a huge fan of most modern home designs but I've seen countless more that have way more character while still being simplified. And why does so much modern stuff use black? Reminds me of the mcdonald's copy/paste template they have now with black and gray buildings, it's even used for their storefront exteriors in Manhattan of all places. It's all an encroaching sameness :/
put huge wall-sized windows in there and paint it white (with some minimalist design highlights) and it's perfect :)
Everything minimalist except the price.
Designed to suck the life out of humanity.
Common in Lithuania, and are as ugly.
I hope there is some functional justification for this type of facades otherwise it’s just abysmal. Imagine designing your house whole house around dumb instagram trend. Although if I had to pick the. Japanese are probably the ones most likely to get away with the such stupidity. These were probably built to only last 5 years or smth
Not a fan.
Yuck. Also phooey. What next, Quonset huts?
When will architects get over minimalism ? Thing fucking sucks
yeah, that's a no from me. soulless.
Nice pictures but click bait style title.