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Japanese Innovation in Adaptable Homes
Author(s) -
Minami Kazunobu
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
architectural design
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.128
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 1554-2769
pISSN - 0003-8504
DOI - 10.1002/ad.2214
Subject(s) - boom , architecture , stock (firearms) , incentive , government (linguistics) , tax incentive , engineering , business , economy , economic growth , economics , market economy , history , mechanical engineering , linguistics , philosophy , archaeology , environmental engineering
By the late 1960s, Japan's postwar housing boom had resulted in supply exceeding demand. But these buildings were poor quality and short‐lived. Since then, the country has seen various initiatives – both public and private – to improve the building stock and make it sustainable. Ranging from construction guidelines, to tax incentives, to technical innovations, they have achieved considerable success. Kazunobu Minami – Professor of Architecture at the Shibaura Institute of Technology in Tokyo, who has worked as an architect for the Japanese government since 1981 – tells their story.