Building the Japanese House Today

by Len Brackett, Peggy Landers Rao

Built like a piece of fine furniture, the traditional Japanese house is universally admired for its clean lines, intricate joinery, and unparalleled woodworking. Focusing primarily on a new guesthouse in California, this elegant volume shows how a classic Japanese house can be built to offer the warmth and comfort that modern homemakers require.

Len Brackett, rigorously trained as a temple carpenter in Kyoto, has spent decades adapting the ancient Japanese design aesthetic to Western needs. Here he demonstrates step-by-step how both the traditional live-on-the-floor house, as well as models that accommodate furniture, can be constructed to provide such modern essentials as central heating, insulation, computerized lighting systems, and the latest electronics. This practical and inspiring guide-with gorgeous, clear photos and diagrams-is an indispensable resource for those who'd like to live in a Japanese home, for professionals who want to build them, and for any reader who delights in Japan's age-old aesthetic traditions.

Genres: Japan, Architecture, Woodwork, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2005

Reviews

[Tanya]

where can i downloads this book?

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

A survey of building design, joinery, materials and tools; told through the perspective of an apprenticed-in-Japan-in-the-70s American builder-architect and one particular Bay Area guesthouse of the 2000s. Not very detailed and veering towards "how to find a general contractor to build this for you" yuppie-ism, yet still inspiring.

[Kat Czar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect inspiration for anyone interested in Japanese architecture - I built my house and this book was a great resource!

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book helps to dispel the myths of anyone thinking they want to do it...