Eco Living Japan by Deanna MacDonald

Author:Deanna MacDonald
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-4-8053-1283-4
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

Katsura Imperial Villa in summer.

Fusuma sliding doors allow ‘borrowed landscapes’ inside.

Bamboo latticework.

The play of color, pattern and texture in the interiors.

PASSIVE QUALITIES

THE NATURALLY PASSIVE QUALITIES FOR KEEPING

THE TRADITIONAL JAPANESE HOUSE COOL

In our cities of glass and concrete, heating and air-conditioning systems are de rigueur. But how did we regulate temperature in our homes before electricity? How did Japan, infamous for its mushiatsui (hot, humid) summer weather, keep cool?

The first and most obvious step lay in the design. Traditional houses in much of Japan were designed to deal foremost with summer. Houses were oriented and openings strategically placed to make best use of sunlight year round, creating maximum shade in summer and letting in low winter light. Houses were built with natural cooling properties: deep eaves for shade, wide openings for natural air circulation and freshening gardens. Houses were often raised off the ground on pillars to allow for under-floor air circulation. Gardens and wooden surfaces absorb rainwater, which then evaporates, creating a cooling effect. Today, water is still sprinkled on streets and balconies in hot weather to naturally cool the air.

Modulating sunlight was vital. Porous barriers were developed that could be altered with the varying seasons. Trees and trellises with lush summertime growth were strategically placed to block the worst of the solar heat yet allow dappled daylight to illuminate interiors. Similarly, removable sudare (roll-up bamboo screens) were hung outside openings, allowing only a gentle diffused light into interiors. Interior movable and removable fusuma (solid sliding screens) and shoji (opaque sliding screens) created gradations of light and shadow, depending on the weather and season.

The choice of materials also helped. Modern materials like concrete and glass hold and radiate heat but natural materials, such as wood, earth and reeds, are more adaptable. Tatami mats and earthen walls absorb moisture when humidity is high and release it when dry.

While many of these basic principles were often overlooked in modern construction, many homeowners and designers in Japan are now returning to these simple strategies in both traditional and highly modern homes for natural temperature regulation and the energy savings that result.

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