Eco Living Japan: Sustainable Ideas for Living Green

by Deanna MacDonald

Overview

Eco Living Japan presents contemporary Japanese houses which exemplify the most recent trends in sustainable design in Japan. This is wabi-sabi for the 21st century!

Japan is equally as well known for its ecologically-sensitive traditional homes as it is for cutting-edge, green technology. With over 250 photos, drawings, plans and lively, informative text, this sustainable architecture book offers a picture of green living in contemporary Japan and provides inspiration and practical ideas for those creating homes in North America and other 4 season climates. Each project presents different aspects of Japan's current movement toward a more sustainable living environment as well as its focus on fine craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology.

The book's content is informative and enjoyable for both professional architects and forward-thinking homeowners. Anyone with interest in Japanese design and trends in sustainable living will find fresh ideas for their own home projects. These homes work in harmony with their environments and with the people who inhabit them— "green design" at its best!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780804850391
Publisher:	Tuttle Publishing
Publication date:	04/17/2018
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Deanna MacDonald teaches art and architectural history at Temple University's Tokyo campus and writes extensively about Japan's art, architecture and cultural heritage. Her most recent book was New Japan Architecture published by Tuttle.

Editorial Reviews

"This book is one more step forward towards a holistic understanding of Sustainable Design. Not as a simple matter of technology, but as a broad civic responsibility: for ecological and economic improvement, for social integration and cultural adequacy." —Jana Revedin, professor of Architecture and Design and Founding President of the LOCUS Foundation for Sustainable Urban Development

"…the work visits 19 homes to demonstrate how different architectural elements can be blended successfully to create sustainable dwellings that exemplify the Japanese concept of mottainai, loosely translated as 'waste not, want not.'" —Architectural Digest

"Features include an interesting use of light, different types of wood, asymmetrical designs and balance, and a harmonious mixture of the old and new. This is much more than solar panels on roofs and recycled materials!" —HaikuGirl's Japan blog

"Accessible and beautiful, Eco Living Japan presents concepts of Japanese house design specialized for modern ecological sensibilities … Expect it to fuel the growing fandom of home simplicity and efficiency, as well as interest in Japanese traditional design." —Foreword Magazine

"The success of her book would be greatest if, like the last chapter, people reading the book absorbed its ides of eco living and incorporated them into their own living spaces, wherever they may be." —A Daily Dose of Architecture blog

"Eco Living Japan is a beautiful book filled with ideas and reachable goals to build and renovate with a simple, sustainable focus. This is a book to read over and over again and will certainly be a catalyst for many sustainable projects to come. Prepare to be inspired and awed by the simply beautiful, sustainable designs inspired by Japanese aesthetics." —Portland Book Review

"What makes this book so appealing is the simple layout and truly gorgeous photography. Whether covering bathrooms, bedrooms, or classic Japanese tea houses, the book is a lovely coffeetable book (for those non-design folk out there) or a collection of inspiration for those in the design field." —Green Building Elements blog

From the Publisher

02/15/2016
Westerners might presume that all Japanese houses are ecofriendly. Yet according to MacDonald (art & architecture, Temple Univ. Tokyo; New Japan Architecture), the truth is more nuanced. While historically Japanese houses have embodied many aspects that are now considered green, the author writes that since 1945 Japanese houses have not been designed to last, nor are they maintained, as insurance becomes unavailable beyond a certain period. She adds that building codes change frequently and there are no government incentives to renovate, thus the result is a "scrap and build" construction cycle. Some Japanese architects and clients are working to improve that situation by embracing sustainability in home design. Profiled here are 15 new or renovated houses in Japan and four Japanese-inspired dwellings in other nations, all of which depict elegant combinations of both the traditional and modern, each accompanied by fine color photographs. Most are compact, made of wood, and feature ecological design, materials, and equipment. Also provided are sidebars that explain key concepts and a list of resource websites and books. VERDICT This work will appeal to readers interested in recent Japanese architecture as well as those who follow sustainable design.—David R. Conn, formerly with Surrey Libs., BC

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