This paper examines green architecture in Japan as an expression of deep cultural and religious values. Beginning with a definition of green architecture and the pioneering work of the Ushida-Findlay design studio, the paper traces the philosophical roots of harmonious building in Shinto and Buddhist traditions. It discusses how ancient shrine construction embodied principles of living in balance with nature, the significance of wood as a building material, and the emergence of modern eco-building projects such as CRIEPI's eco-village in Tokyo. The paper also considers environmental psychology, the influence of Feng Shui, and the lasting impact of Japanese architectural traditions on Western designers such as Frank Lloyd Wright.
Man has been building structures since shortly after emerging from caves and exploring areas beyond his immediate vicinity. Many animals build structures — birds and beavers among them — and many of these structures are functional, serving only to offer protection from predators and the elements. So it was with the first structures built by humans: they were made from locally available materials, with emphasis on functionality and little, if any, thought given to artistic form.
As society developed, so did technology. Advances in technology gave people more time for pursuits unrelated to survival, and humans began to express their emotions through art. Architectural design encompasses more than simply piecing together I-beams and concrete — it involves building for humankind. Nowhere is this idea more pronounced than in Japan.
In Eastern cultures there is a strong emphasis on the interconnectivity between everything in the universe. The belief is that all things, both ethereal and concrete, are interdependent in a complex symbiosis that only the gods can fully understand. This harmony is reflected in every social aspect of life, including architecture. Many now refer to this concept as green architecture, which simply means building in a way that is in harmony with nature, as opposed to being superimposed upon it. This paper demonstrates through example how green architecture in Japan is a direct result of traditional elements found in Japanese religion and culture.
The Ushida-Findlay design studio is known for its work in architecture as a reflection of regional landscape elements and the influences of habitat, nature, and technology on human psychology. This studio takes the idea of green architecture to the next level. Many consider themselves "green architects" simply because they incorporate a few elements of energy conservation and curved lines. Many architects try to "tame nature." The Ushida-Findlay studio takes the opposite approach and tries to tame technology instead, giving new definition to the term green architecture.
As in Japanese gardening, Japanese architecture seeks to create a miniature version of the nature surrounding it. A building in the city follows this same principle, representing a miniature version of the city around it. Like a city, each house contains personal, intimate spaces — such as the bedroom, where the occupant can envelop themselves in a protective cocoon free from the outside world — as well as public spaces where the larger ideals of society are captured. Modern designers tend to ignore these principles and view a building or wall simply as an interruption to the smooth flow of traffic.
In America, cities grew in sections, with thought given only to the particular section and its immediate planned use. Anyone who has tried to navigate the disjointed grid sections of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania can attest to this. The same principle was also reflected in building styles: structures were designed from the outside in, rather than from the inside out in consideration of the surrounding area. According to Wines, giving consideration to the microcosm of the building grants occupants more control to design their working and living environments to meet their particular needs.
The highlight of the Ushida-Findlay design studio's work encapsulates the ideals they seek to convey. In 1994 they built the "Soft and Hairy" (also called "Warm and Fuzzy") house for a young couple in Tsukuba City near Tokyo. This house is quite unconventional in design and causes one to pause and reflect. Gone are the harsh wall corners and square rooms. Instead, one finds a world of curves that resemble biology more than geometry. "Organic" is perhaps the best description available. The floor plan of the "Soft and Fuzzy" house illustrates this most clearly, with shapes that recall conch shells, ocean waves, and even a human fetus in the womb — reminding us of the protection of the mother. To call this design a diversion from the concepts of modern Western architectural design would be an understatement.
Not only does this design appeal to the human psyche in a primal way, it also features elements that reflect environmental responsibility, including an extensive roof garden that provides a better quality of life for the occupants and helps maintain interior temperature. The "Soft and Hairy" house is a radical example of the green architecture concept.
Asia has not traditionally been known for placing environmental concerns first when it comes to functional space. Attention to harmony with the environment was historically reserved for temples and shrines; in the city, function and efficiency were the primary concerns. Recently, however, the public has been placing pressure on Japanese architects to design buildings that are in harmony with nature, or at the very least demonstrate some concern for the environment. Ben Nakamura was a pioneer in this area, designing a complex that featured effective insulation, non-toxic materials, and a design that blended with the local site and climate. Nakamura pioneered the concept that green architecture and a "people-friendly" building meant more than placing more plants in the lobby. He integrated the idea of building a more humanly appealing structure into the entire building design, and his work remains state of the art in terms of environmental building materials and design.
At the forefront of this green movement in Japan is the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI). This institute created its own eco-village — the country's most extensive green housing project — a 110-flat complex in the Tokyo suburb of Matsudo, built for institute employees. The apartments come complete with a machine that makes ice during the night, when electricity is cheapest, to help cool the apartments during the day. Heat generated by air compressors is recycled to supply hot water. Kitchen waste is composted to feed the communal garden and the grass-covered roof that acts as insulation. Rainwater is collected into landscaped ponds in a courtyard. Lessening the impact on the environment is the main objective of this building concept, and the CRIEPI project is the most complete design of its type to date.
This design emphasizes that green architecture encompasses not only the look and outward appearance of a building, but also its mechanical systems. Those systems must lessen the building's impact on the environment without detracting from its aesthetics. The concept of green architecture allows more options than conventional architectural design. Gone are the days of concealing infrastructure behind plywood; those same pipes and systems can become important design elements that contribute to, rather than detract from, the building's overall character.
Green architecture encompasses all design elements — from the aesthetics of the building to integrating mechanical systems into the overall feel of the space. It means considering the environmental impact of a building and taking measures to minimize that impact. It means designing in harmony with nature, not in spite of it. Buildings are for human inhabitants, and it is those inhabitants who should be the primary concern for architectural designers.
As the primary focus of building design is the human occupant, it is necessary to understand those occupants as thoroughly as possible. In order to study the effects of Japanese philosophy on the green architecture movement, one must first understand that philosophy. It is difficult to explain Japanese philosophy in English, as there are no truly adequate words in the language to describe these concepts. Comparison and contrast will be used to bring the two worlds together.
Japanese religious history is complex and has sometimes held contradictory views that coexisted peacefully — an idea largely foreign to the Western mind. Shinto is the original religion of Japan. Buddhism reached Japan in the eighth century AD, migrating through Korea and China. Other religions have existed in Japan at various times, but it is Shinto and Buddhism that have formed the main basis for Japanese philosophy and culture.
Shinto was the first and oldest religion in Japan, serving as the primary religion from approximately 500 BC to 700 AD. During this period Japan began to fall under the influences of continental civilization in forms that resembled a mix of shamanism, nature worship, fertility ceremonies, and divination techniques. Shinto means "the way of the Kami," and Kami refers to the many gods and spirits that make up the Shinto religion.
In the sixth century, Japan began to be influenced by foreign ideas such as Buddhism and Confucianism. These new religions melded easily with Shinto, and their arrival did not diminish Shinto practice. Their basic philosophies allowed them to be practiced side by side without conflict. The main deity in Shinto is the sun goddess, a figure who is entirely unaware of the undesirable side of human nature and embodies complete optimism. Shinto is full of mythology covering all aspects of life and spirituality, and this mythology offers many insights into Shinto concepts.
Japanese art attempts to create a small microcosm of the larger world or universe. In designing architecture that truly blends with its surroundings and complements the spirit of the people around it, it is necessary to approach building with this same concept in mind. Japanese mythology references worlds other than our own: the heavenly high plain, the dark land, and the unclean land of the dead. The Japanese believe these worlds are interconnected and that events in one affect the others. Truly green architectural design should seek to recreate these other worlds in miniature within the building's design. Many design ideas can be drawn from Shinto mythology.
Shinto worship takes place in shrines, many of them thousands of years old. These shrines embodied the concepts of Shinto in their design elements and have been symbols of those concepts ever since. It is from these shrines that the green architect can draw the most accurate design concepts. Incorporating shrine design elements into standard buildings is a relatively new idea in architecture; these two elements have traditionally been kept separate. However, if one truly wishes to design buildings in attunement with human psychology, these elements must be incorporated into functional buildings as well. People go to shrines to seek harmony and fulfill their emotional needs — one of the main principles of green architecture is that every building should provide humans with that same harmonious feeling. It therefore stands to reason that all building design should take inspiration from religious structures.
Buddhism arrived in Japan in the sixth century AD, already having become a major world religion elsewhere. With it came a more formal style of literature, art, and architecture. The main view of man and the world differed from Shinto in that this world is seen as a transient place of human suffering — a sharp contrast to Shinto's optimism. Many Japanese resolved this tension by treating Buddha simply as another Kami to be worshipped, allowing Buddhism to gain mass acceptance and become an integral part of Japanese culture and philosophy. This is one of the rare instances in history when two conflicting religions managed to coexist in the same region and be practiced simultaneously without generating war or conflict.
The practice of Buddhism is individualistic and involves regular meditation in the hope of attaining knowledge and enlightenment. Buddhism employs the mandala as a representation of the universe as perceived by the enlightened mind — a symbol far more complex than a decorative design. Like Shinto, Buddhism holds that enlightened individuals inhabit a world different from our own.
The differences between Shinto and Buddhism are evident in their basic philosophies. Yet both share certain important elements. The most significant for architectural design is the idea of other worlds and the belief that art is a miniature version of that larger world. This is perhaps the most important concept when attempting to design a building that conforms to Japanese philosophy and ideology. There are extensive resources and collections of Japanese art and literature available, and anyone wishing to design a building in harmony with the people and natural surroundings would do well to familiarize themselves with these works.
Japan is covered with lush forests and greenery. For this reason, Japan has a long tradition of building with natural wood, and Japanese carpentry skills are renowned and evident throughout the country. The sharp angles on the corners of Japanese buildings contrast with the flowing lines of the natural environment surrounding them, yet Japanese buildings consistently feature scenic vistas and incorporate many elements of the natural surroundings into their design.
Wood is a primary structural material in Japan, with roofs traditionally made from baked soil. The forms and techniques of this wooden construction are deeply embedded in Japanese culture and tradition. Japan has four distinct seasons, and other cultures in similar climates chose to build with stone and soil. The reasons why the ancient Japanese chose wood are not entirely clear. The Japanese have a long tradition of absorbing elements from other cultures and reshaping them into something uniquely their own — seen in everything from food to art and especially in their major religions.
Shinto beliefs are deeply rooted in the worship of trees and stones. The original Shinto shrines were not manmade structures but natural objects such as large boulders, lakes, or mountains. Shintoists believed that the world was filled with mysterious forces that were a part of everything, and that these forces were more favorable in certain types of wood, such as the Japanese evergreen. These trees were felled and used in shrine construction, with the belief that the good energies of the tree would inhabit the building and in turn bestow those energies on the people who used it.
Shrines are built in natural, sacred places of great beauty — dense forests, or the bases of mountains. The great shrine at Ise is built in a dense forest of cryptomeria trees by the Isuzu River at the base of Mount Kamiji. The shrine consists of two groups of buildings known as the Imperial Shrine (inner shrine) and the Toyouke Shrine (outer shrine), dedicated respectively to the sun goddess and the goddess of cereals. The inner post of the shrine contains a post made of sacred wood representing the heart of the structure. Tange and Kawazoe (1965) suggest that this is a reflection of the earlier, more primitive form of shrine.
Japanese art also reflects the principles found in shrine architecture. Flowing paths with vegetation creeping onto their fringes appear in many fine Japanese paintings. Architects attempted to blend the curves of rooflines into the surroundings and make buildings merge with nature — though this intent can sometimes be difficult to discern in buildings dominated by sharp angles and square rooms. Art is a reflection of society and the ideals it holds sacred. Architecture, as a larger form of art, therefore also reflects the ideals that define a society.
The idea of creating buildings that reflect harmony with nature began with the Shinto shrines and continued throughout the history of Japanese architecture, persisting until very recent times when it was largely abandoned in favor of function and efficiency. The Shinto shrines were constructed in the tradition of green architecture in its purest artistic sense. If modern architects wish to capture the artistic elements of green architecture, they must look closely at the Shinto shrines — the older the better. Here lie the true masters of green architecture. Green architecture is not a new idea; it is in fact an ancient one. It can more accurately be considered a revival than a contemporary concept.
Societal values have been apparent in Japanese art and architecture for many thousands of years. A closer examination of Japanese architecture offers many clues about what ideals society held sacred through the ages. Even the stark, cold buildings of the modern era reflect the society that created them. The re-emergence of green architecture is a sign that Japanese society wishes to return to a simpler existence in harmony with nature — a social statement that the current fast-paced, technological mode of life is not bringing comfort, and that people wish to return to more harmonious times.
"Psychology of built environments and Feng Shui compared"
"Ancient principles meet modern green building challenges"
Green architecture is not a new concept. Its beginnings are deeply rooted in the nature-worshipping shrines of the ancient Shinto tradition. Green architecture encompasses all elements of a building, both inside and out. A growing branch of psychology called environmental psychology will help architects design more people-friendly buildings in the future. Japanese religion and culture have had a clear and lasting effect on the development of the green architecture movement. Architecture, art, and culture are inseparable — forming a symbiosis that cannot be ignored.
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