Japan Architectural Review最新文献

The field survey on indoor thermal environment was conducted in real-life 22 houses occupied by 29 middle-aged men and women in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 18 had air conditioners (AC) in the master bedroom, and 4 had natural ventilation (NV), though all homes had ceiling or standing fans. During nighttime sleeping hours, the average air temperature (Ta) in the participants' bedrooms ranged from 22.6°C to 32.2°C, with relative humidity (Rh) varying between 32% and 80% and airflow between 0.1 and 1.3 m/s. Based on the ET* values, the participants were divided into three groups (A, 20.9°C–24.9°C ET*; B, 25.0°C–27.9°C ET*; and C, 28.0°C–32.5°C ET*), and sleep variables were then compared among the three groups. Group B had the shortest time to fall asleep, whereas group C had the longest awakening time during sleep. The sleep efficiency index (SEI) revealed that sleep quality in group C was inferior to that in group A. No differences were observed in subjective sleep sensations and thermal comfort among the groups, except for humidity sensation. This study demonstrates the importance of using activity meters to measure objective sleep variables in daily life.

This study aimed to clarify how much the presence and use of greenery in the living environment affects perceived health compared to individuals' characteristics and the status of health, activity, and social participation. The research employed a stochastic choice model with a discrete dependent variable, and an ordinal logit model with self-rated health as the objective variable. The marginal probability effects at means of personal characteristics, perceived health, activity, and social participation status, and green presence and use utility were calculated to clarify the relationship between the two.

Many earthquake memorial parks were established in Japan following the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 (an earthquake and tsunami). The parks are intended as spaces for commemorating the disaster victims and disseminating information regarding the disaster. The parks are also expected to play a role in supporting local communities. Therefore, it is essential to manage these parks with the local residents' understanding and cooperation. This paper clarifies the relationship between local residents' perceptions of earthquake memorial parks and their willingness to participate in managing and using them. A survey was conducted targeting residents of eight municipalities in the Miyagi Prefecture where earthquake memorial parks are located. Respondents were surveyed regarding their willingness to use the parks and participate in their management, experiences of the disaster, experiences communicating about the disaster, familiarity with earthquake memorial parks, and perception of the parks' relevance. The results indicated that 27% of respondents had a desire to use a park on a daily basis, and 15% were willing to participate in their management. The responses indicated a sense of familiarity with these parks and the parks' personal importance for the respondents; these factors were associated with a willingness to participate in park management.

This paper aims to clarify the concept of the “Selection, Tradition, Creation” Exhibition (1941) by the French furniture decorator and architect Charlotte Perriand (1903–1999), to analyze her interpretation of Japanese “folklore” during her one-year stay in Japan to teach export crafts. Perriand's works (mainly tables, chairs and carpets) exhibited were directly influenced by Japanese folk crafts. However, almost all of them were variations on the prototypes of forms Perriand had developed in France. In other words, Perriand made a shift in materials and techniques (bamboo, straw materials and weaving techniques), a reduction in the size of furniture (a reference to traditional Japanese lifestyle) and a transfer of patterns (Japanese symbolic signs) in order to interpretate the Japanese “folklore” discovered by the modern Japanese through their own forms. It was both a way of understanding Japan and a reflection on her own design methods.

As condominiums in Japan increase (6 859 000 units, 2021), the stock of older condominiums built more than 40 years ago is also growing. Older condominiums face various challenges, such as aging buildings and residents, but knowledge regarding their effective management is lacking. Condominium management association corporations (CMAC) are actively engaged in their management; thus, clarifying their situation would be helpful. We investigated the challenges faced by older condominiums and the role of facility management by surveying CMACs in Kinki prefectures. Condominiums managed by CMACs were older, larger, and more actively managed than those managed by general management associations. The percentages of elderly residents (r = 0.48), rental units (r = 0.41), and vacant units (r = 0.35) were all positively correlated with the buildings' age. We found no significant differences in property-specific conditions but significant differences in the percentages of rental units, vacant units, and number of facilities installed, which suggests the role of management for older condominiums. (155 words).

In modern imperial funerals, temporary buildings were built and granted to various organizations to be converted to buildings for other uses. To examine the commemorative nature of architecture from the modern emperor system's perspective, this study analyzes ceremonial buildings of four modern imperial funerals before World War II and clarifies their granting and conversion, focusing on Sōjōden, a temporary building for laying a coffin. It was found that the buildings were granted to local public bodies and charitable institutions, and the central area of grant was moved from Kyoto to Tokyo. Moreover, the granting and conversion were connected to the concept of holiness and impurity, the positioning of the institutions enshrining the Emperor and Empress Dowager, building relationships with the Imperial House, and the condition of commemoration in the converted buildings.

Distortional buckling of channel members is a critical factor in steel structures composed of thin-walled members; however, existing models have limitations in accurately predicting this behavior. This study analyzes the distortional buckling behavior of channel members using an energy method. A nonconventional mechanical model and displacement functions are introduced to simulate distortional buckling behavior, highlighting the limitations of conventional models. An evaluation formula for the elastic distortional buckling strength is derived, directly reflecting the geometrical parameters of the channel member using the proposed mechanical model. Additionally, a design equation is formulated. The proposed evaluation formula and simplified design equation enable the precise determination of the elastic critical distortional buckling strength, including cases where distortional buckling is initiated by local buckling of the web, which previous evaluation formulas could not address. These methods enable continuous evaluation of distortional buckling in channel members. The proposed formula and design equation were verified against finite element analysis results, confirming their reliability and effectiveness. The developed model and equations offer improved accuracy over conventional approaches for predicting distortional buckling in channel members, demonstrating their reliability and applicability under diverse conditions.

This study examines the interaction between social images and actual space in tenement houses, locally called line houses, on a tea plantation in Sri Lanka. The social image of line houses was analyzed based on the discourses of managers, supporters, and residents, while tracing the history of tea plantations and its social development. The physical characteristics and space of line houses were clarified following a field survey in a village, a former tea plantation in Kandy District. Line houses have been conventionally understood only in one aspect, as poor and inhuman living environments that need to be improved or eliminated. However, the results of this study show that the line houses have acquired a sense of place and inherited Tamil culture. This finding reinforces the recent discourse that attempts to reconsider the space of tea plantations from the perspective of the people who have lived there and may provide a basis for rethinking the government's policy of resettling people in line houses.

This study focuses on restroom signs displayed in group homes for the elderly with dementia and clarifies the specifications necessary to design restroom signs that enable the elderly with dementia to independently locate restrooms by recognizing the signs. Restroom signs are commonly displayed in many group homes in Japan. The needs of staff regarding restroom signs include supporting the elderly with dementia in identifying restroom locations and promoting their independent use. When planning restroom signs for the elderly with dementia, it is essential to include text-based signs that explicitly indicate the restroom, as relying solely on pictograms may result in insufficient information. Additionally, the appropriate font size for textual displays ranges from 50 to 90 mm. Regarding placement, restroom signs should be displayed on the restroom door at a height of approximately 1300–1400 mm from the floor. However, in some group homes, restroom doors are operated in an open position, making the door surface unavailable as a display area. In such cases, it is necessary to consider displaying the signs on the surrounding wall surfaces.

In the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake off the Pacific coast, tsunamis caused extensive damage to many buildings, but no structural damage to seismically isolated buildings (SIBs) was reported. Hence, the safety of SIBs against tsunami remains unclear. In this study, hydraulic model experiments were conducted on SIBs to investigate the surge forces acting on the SIBs and the pressure distribution on the superstructure. Moreover, the response of the seismic isolation interface was investigated to examine the dynamic effects of the surge forces on SIBs.