Japan Architectural Review最新文献

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.

This study focused on the guiding effect of residents' room signs and restroom signs displayed in group homes for elderly individuals with dementia. The results indicated that wandering behavior was primarily observed in residents with moderate dementia. An analysis of their behavior showed that while they had a general sense of the location and direction of their intended destination and could correctly reach the area around it, they were unable to identify the precise location in the final process of selecting the correct door. In contrast, when text-based signs displaying residents' names or “restroom” were used, these served as cues to help identify the precise location, thereby preventing wandering behavior.

This study clarified the following three points regarding the National Indoor General Stadium for the Tokyo Olympics: (1) By organizing the official meeting schedule and construction process chart, the symbol zones were discussed at several meetings, and the construction of the symbol zone was done simultaneously with multiple constructions. (2) Using official minutes and publications, the development process of the festival square was visually organized. (3) Various collaborative designs were created for the festival square. Tange understood the limitations of time and budget and successfully crystallized the ideas of the participating members.

The purpose of this study is to gain knowledge about the coexistence of monument protection and energy in southern Germany's Old Town through resident intentions, laws, and permit decision criteria. First, there is a movement to allow rooftop PV on buildings in the Old Town. Next, there are two requirements for rooftop PV installation under the Old Town Protection Law: (1) building evaluation of monument protection and impact on surrounding buildings, etc. and (2) visibility from public spaces. It has become clear that the expansion of the interpretation of “public space” as a viewpoint is protecting historic buildings.

Economic Census, which is an official statistic, was used in urban analysis. Conversely, private gourmet information websites were used to obtain pinpoint rich restaurant information. However, not all restaurants were listed on gourmet information sites. Therefore, in this study, we clarify the spatial characteristics of the Economic Census and gourmet information websites through spatial comparison. Furthermore, we present a case study of its application to urban analysis and demonstrate its usefulness.

Urban renewal (UR) and transit-oriented development (TOD) are critical issues for improving the built environments and socioeconomic conditions of developed cities. This research focuses on UR in Taipei City, Taiwan, and discusses whether these UR projects are “transit-oriented.” This research examines all 163 UR projects completed in Taipei City as of the end of 2020 to investigate the accessibility of UR to public transportation, including mass rapid transit (MRT), city buses, and YouBike. The findings demonstrate that city buses are more accessible than MRT within UR sites; therefore, city bus networks are considered the dominant transit option for present-day TOD policy in Taipei City. This research suggests resolving the uneven distribution of MRT networks across regions within Taipei City. Further, residential land use shows a worthwhile accessibility to public transportation. It is important to optimize the use of the existing city bus networks to promote the TOD model of UR. Further, the findings suggest that it may be effective to promote connections between MRT, city buses, and YouBike, especially in areas zoned for residential land use, as this could enhance policies based on the TOD model of UR.

Most of the dual-purpose buildings built by the Incorporated Church Building Society in the 19th century were mission buildings. In the 20th century, many consecrated churches were constructed as dual-purpose buildings. Installing a stage for secular use became common. However, reserving at least one-third of the total floor to be used exclusively for worship was recommended. In addition, several floor plans emerged that allowed the worship floor to be extended but not vice versa. A wider range of floor plan variations was found that explicitly identified worship as the primary use.

An effective method to develop the activities of nonresidents in the area of the Tenkawa shrine is to offer extraordinary experiences in which people can participate casually through “ko” to enhance religious culture based on the shrine's history. This can also increase the sustainability of the area where the shrine is located, as the charm of the shrine has attracted several households, which have moved into the village in recent years.