CONTINUITY AS SUSTAINABLITY

The theme is to carry forward into the future, the history and heritage of a family or house that embodies local wisdom, and to create new living spaces by enhancing local materials and the natural context of the place. With renovation, the close relationship between form, structure, material and natural environment as well as cultural aspects of a region is redefined.

Four revitalized houses are taken as examples. Besides House in Joroku, built about 25 years ago, all structures are from the early Showa period (1930~40s). Post-war westernization, not always sustainable solutions for modernization, has replaced many local cultural aspects. Given the rich timber resources of Shikoku, it is important to preserve positive aspects of the long-lasting structural system of wood construction, discouraged by the post-war social context, as an alternative for sustainable regional development.

All the renovated structures are reinforced and retrofitted, retaining the wisdom and advantages of traditional structural methods. By reorienting spaces with a critical eye, new life is breathed into old house plans that reflect the old feudal social structure. For example, the dining space in the north or back of the house has been brought to the most comfortable areas, where the traditional house form basically allows warmth of the winter sun and cool summer breeze to be enjoyed.

From the dwelling to nearby trees or fields, from rainwater or treated wastewater to recycled water in toilets made to flow through the garden, interior spaces are linked in many ways to the surrounding townscape or landscape. In other words, the human being is placed at the center of natural cyclical processes and family life, through many forms of sharing, can be cherished in this spacious living space.