Japanese houses 3

In the last 2 articles I told you about the present situation regarding Japanese houses and their origin. This time, I would like to write my hopes for the future of Japanese houses.

Until 50 years ago, people had only a few choices about the construction of their own new house, because every area had it's own construction way and materials. There were many limitations to the design. But because of this , there was good unity in the townscape.

These days, we have so many choices about the construction of our new houses. With the advancement of technology, We can choose any structure, any material and any color we want. I think, because of this increment of choices, the unity has disappeared and the townscape has became confused.

I understand people's desire to realize their own ideal house. However, in some cases their choice is good for their house but not good for their town. I believe to follow the architectural law is not enough. Each town has it's own unspoken rules about design and unity. To follow the local rules is most important, but in many towns, people only care about their own house. But I hope some day, people have more active discussions about their town design and try to realize their ideal townscape.