The Modern Japanese Home, Withstanding Environmental Conditions

Faced with crowded urban areas and the constant threat of earthquakes, Japanese architects have to consider extreme environmental factors when designing new buildings. These challenges encourage them to innovate tirelessly and to reinvent: this is the subject of the book The Japanese House Reinvented by Philip Jodidio, published in 2015.

The attention paid to materials, technologies, and the various ways of lighting the space as naturally as possible (while preserving privacy) are reflective of the new ways of designing living spaces—more resilient and more respectful of nature, in harmony with the exterior. This contemporary Japanese architecture acts as a model worldwide, particularly since Kenzo Tange received the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 1987.

The Japanese House Reinvented (2015), a book by Philip Jodidio, is published by Monacelli Press.