Measure and Construction of the Japanese House

by Heino Engel

A remarkable classic work on traditional Japanese architecture and its general integrative quality, the order of space and form, the flexibility of partitions and room functions and other important or unique qualities. The author describes in detail, and with numerous architectural plans and drawings, the influence of the anatomy of the Japanese human body on traditional units of measurement and on house construction. This work is not simply a description...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0804814929
• ISBN13: 9780804814928
• Release Date: January 1985
• Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
• Length: 152 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 7.5" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

Great book: exhaustive, detailed and copiously illustrated

The book, taken from the larger volume "The Japanese House: A Tradition for Contemporary Architecture", describes exhaustively how the traditional Japanese house is built. Every topic from plan layout down to shoji or tokonoma proportions is covered in detail, with amazing technical drawings and lot of examples: you will be able to build your own Japanese house, from foundation stones to the top of the roof. Particularly interesting are the schemes of joints needed for every part of the house, and the continuos focus on some particular features like modular order, flexibility or standardization. If you are not used to technical drawings the book may appear a bit complex, since there are no photos illustrating the building, but everything is very well done. I recommend this book to everyone with a strong technical interest on Japanese traditional buildings.

Book for Architects

This book was a gift for my architect son, and I haven't heard any complaints out of him.

"When The 'Ken' Was 1st Applied, Japanese Architechture struck 1 of It's Most destinctive Features:

This great book shows the thought process and technique behind traditional Japanese architecture. Whether you are an architect or simply have an interest in the fine details of this process, this book is one of the best. It is filled with over 56 b/w designs, floor plans, joinery and schematics. As this style of building requires a dedicated apprenticeship, people should not necessarily view it as a "how-to" book, even though it does explain the process in fine detail. There is excellent coverage of measurement, and I especially like the detailed section on tatami layout. The wealth of floor plans alone justify the purchase. There is also 4-pages worth of b/w scrolls, depicting a palace layout (and one frame displaying some high quality calligraphy), and the "architect's scroll" which shows a fairly comprehensive collections of joints. There are numerous joints shown throughout the book, and together with "The Complete Japanese Joinery" and The Art of Japanese Joinery" anyone interested in this subject should be set. The book describes what the Japanese house is and how it is built. The author argues that the traditional Japanese house seems better suited as a pattern for contemporary housing than any other residential architecture form. He bases this argument of the following distinctive features: -modular order of system and form -flexibility of space partition and room function -compository potential of tatami mats -expressive diversity within comprehensive standardization -integrartive qualities of Japanese design The book presents considerations of the form, system, and detail of space layout, the dimensions and measurements, and how the various components are combined. The book is great for anyone with an appreciation for this form, but the author seems to have clearly geared it towards architects, whom he challenges to explore this form for integration into modern design. There are few books that cover the process like this, and I highly recommend it. Be sure to Look inside and check out the table of contents to make sure it is what you are looking for, as this is a technical book that is not for everyone.

Clearly Illustrates Traditional Japanese Construction

Anyone who wishes to build a Japanese tea room either in the garden or attached to their house could do well to start with this book. You can also use this book to design accents for a single room, or to craft an entire house. It was written by a German architect who lived in Japan several decades ago and carefully measured surving older buildings as well as studying architecture there. While there are more detailed books in Japanese, this may well still be the best available book in English.

A great reference about japanese architecture

If you are an architect interested in japanese constructional systems, this is THE BOOK for you. If you aren't but find japanese culture a fountain of inspiration for living, you must read this extraordinary piece of art. Perhaps it don't shine like a jewel, but once you open it, you'll find the work of a man who decided to share his mastery. In this book, diagrams, materials, craftmanship, even detailed descriptions of the human space requirements are fully explained with precision and simplicity. Every page, and every example in them, is a world that must be carefully examined. And when doing so, you'll find that what the author is showing us, is more than a book about japanese houses: is the heart of the japanese carpenters and architects living in its pages.