Skip to main content
Category

Traditional Building

Feb 09
Love13
kyoto sumiya geisha house kitchen

Sumiya Pleasure House: Jaw-Dropping Traditional Japanese Craftsmanship

By Photos, Traditional Building, Japan

The Sumiya Pleasure House is one of the most lavish examples of traditional Japanese architecture and craftsmanship in Kyoto. It is truly from another time. I was captivated by the incredible carpentry and plaster details while wandering through the building. For anyone interested in high end Japanese craftsmanship, this building is a must-see.

Sumiya is incredibly well-preserved. Amazingly, it’s been managed by the same family for 13 generations. It no longer serves the same purpose that it once did — instead, it’s a rare glimpse into a very specific piece of Japanese culture and a testament to the skill of carpenters, plasterers, and craftsmen of the Edo period. I’m fascinated by the history, but the actual carpentry and plaster details are what really moves me.

Read More

Nov 24
Love7
ziggy japan

I’m Going to Japan

By Traditional Building, Japan

ziggy japan

It’s been one of my biggest dreams for over the last 10+ years — traveling to Japan. Now I’m getting my chance. Recently, I was selected to participate in the filming of a Japanese TV show. The show will have me visiting sakan (plasterers) and touring traditional buildings. It’s for a show called “Who wants to come to Japan”? (Yes, literally. Only aired in Japan.) The premise is that they invite folks with a passion for some specific element of Japanese culture to learn more about their interest.

Read More

Nov 28
Love1

Shofuso House… Revisited

By Photos, Traditional Building
shofuso house - gable

Shofuso House in Fairmont Park

After my work trip to eastern PA in August, April and I stopped in Philadelphia on the way home. We took the opportunity to re-visit Shofuso House, the traditionally constructed Japanese house in Fairmount Park. It’s been three years since we first went to see the building, and it was almost like seeing it with fresh eyes on this most recent trip. Needless to say, I had a blast.

Read More

Oct 13
Love1

Japanese Joinery, Animated

By Video, Carpentry, Timber Framing, Design, Woodworking, Resources, Traditional Building
 
 
Japanese craftspeople have the reputation of designing and creating some of the most intricate and complex timber joinery on the planet. The use of timbers in construction has a long and deeply fascinating history, and many of these astonishing joints have their roots in the building of temples. Historically, these techniques were fiercely guarded secrets of the carpentry guilds. (If you’re interested in Japanese joinery history and the current practice of temple restoration, check out the fascinating book The Genius of Japanese Carpentry.)

Check out this collection of beautifully simple animations of Japanese joinery in action. These are great little demonstrations of timber frame joints interlocking together.

Read More

Jun 02
Love1

The Magic of Japanese Plastering

By Traditional Building, Lime Plaster, Resources, Clay Plaster
Japanese Plastering

Traditional Japanese interior with natural plaster finish

Today, I present you with two websites that shed a bright light on the magic of traditional building and natural plasters of Japan. Japan has a long history of the use of natural clay and lime plasters in construction. Thankfully, there still exists a wealth of knowledge of these traditional finishes, and skilled craftspeople are keeping the practices and recipes alive.

Kyle Holzhueter is an American-born builder, consultant, researcher and educator specializing in natural building techniques, including straw bale building and clay and lime plasters. He has taken up full-time residence in Japan, where he’s been formally trained in traditional plastering. His websites are a treasure trove with some incredible building documentation, including the recipes, mixing, and application of some of the most interesting and refined natural plasters I have ever seen.

Read More

Mar 07
Love0

Book Giveaway: America’s Covered Bridges

By Book Reviews, Traditional Building

ACB Jacket.inddCovered bridges are a big source of nostalgia and fascination for many folks in America. Fewer intact examples litter the countryside today than ever before, but once upon a time they were a critical part of early transportation infrastructure. At the time they were built (and today, too), they were engineering marvels, often built by formally uneducated people with simple technology (and definitely nothing in the way of calculators, computers, or load tables.)

Less than 1000 covered bridges remain in service today, but during the two hundred years of covered bridge heyday, over 15,000 were built. America’s Covered Bridges: Practical Crossings, Nostalgic Icons is a beefy hardcover illuminating the source of fascination of the covered bridge in the American landscape.

Read More

Feb 26
Love0

Two Great Classic Books about Old Barns

By Timber Framing, Traditional Building
Old Barns

Curious about old barns? Check out these two classic books

Old barns litter the American countryside everywhere you look. Many are mediocre, some are nice, and few are outstanding. And usually, the older the barn, the grander the construction. Sadly, the truly outstanding barns are few and far in-between. As industrial agriculture eats up acres and acres (and everything/everyone on them), all barns of old are left to crumble. Though once the most important building on a small family farm, they are mostly mere symbols now. Most “barns” these days are soulless metal boxes built with reckless speed and probably with no more of a lifespan relative to the time they take to build.

Read More

Nov 05
Love0

The Art of Japanese Architecture: Book Giveaway

By Traditional Building, Book Reviews
Shinto Gate: Usa Jingu

A Shinto gate (torii), in front of another larger temple gate, remodeled in 1592

Tuttle Books has been kind enough to donate another fascinating book to The Year of Mud, and an extra copy will go to one lucky reader. Check out my review of The Art of Japanese Architecture, by David and Michiko Young, and comment below to enter the free giveaway to get your own copy of the book.

The Art of Japanese Architecture is a sweeping look at the evolution of building styles in Japan over thousands of years, from the earliest settled cultures through the modern era.

Read More

Jul 06
Love0

The Modern Seaweed House

By Video, Traditional Building
Modern Seaweed House Exterior

The modern seaweed house of Læsø, Denmark

Ever since I saw photos of the seaweed thatch homes of Denmark in the book Built by Hand, I’ve been captivated and wanting to learn more about these unnusual structures. Recently, I was disappointed to learn that there are only about 19 traditional seaweed homes left standing on the island of Læsø. But, my disappointment turned to enthusiasm when I learned that some architects and builders are once again rejuvenating interest in the use of seaweed in construction. In fact, there’s been one successful newly built seaweed house, inspired by a competition organized by Realdania Byg. The results are very cool.

Read More

Apr 15
Love0

A Slice of Japan in Philadelphia: Shofuso House and Garden

By Photos, Timber Framing, Traditional Building
Shofuso House in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia

The Shofuso House in Fairmount Park, Philly, PA

I may never get to Japan, though I’ve dreamed about it on and off for many years now. I was, however, pleasantly surprised to find that there’s a little slice of Japan here in the states, right inside Philadelphia in Fairmount Park. The Shofuso house and gardens are an impressive little site, representative of 17th century Japanese architecture. The home is complete with authentic traditional carpentry and building techniques, and the garden features native Japanese plants. And it’s beautiful.

I thought about asking if they wouldn’t mind me shacking up there for a bit to be able to experience the house a bit more fully…  Here are some photos of the house and garden.

Read More