📚 'What Are Architects Designing in a Home?' by Kazuhisa Fujiyama - Understand in 1 Minute! Reiwa Super Translation #198

📘 In a nutshell?

The perfect home the client desires may not be a happy one.

🔍 Summary: How to easily understand this book!

This book explores 'what a home is' through the philosophies and design perspectives of architects.

First, what is striking is that

the comfort of a home is determined by human relationships rather than size.

No matter how grand the mansion, if family relationships are poor, the comfort will be at its worst.

Conversely, there are homes that are small but comfortable.

The author compares this to 'clothes that do not fit'.

Bigger does not mean more comfortable.

Also,

The smaller the house, the more its design quality is tested.

How to use a limited space.

That is where an architect's skill shines.

What's even more interesting is,

the fact that 'the higher the ceiling, the better' is not necessarily true.

The standard is 2400mm, but,

a lower ceiling of around 2100mm provides a 'sense of cozy security'.

Furthermore,

・Better thermal efficiency
・Fewer stairs
・Better balance with windows

and other practical benefits are significant.

There is also criticism of modern housing.

Recent home building is,seeking too much efficiency.

But humans are not satisfied by efficiency alone.

There is also value in waste and empty space.

There are many other practical points as well.

・Walk-in closets lose storage efficiency due to the space needed for traffic flow
・Children's rooms can be small
・It is easier for people to gather if the living-dining area is larger than just the living room
・Entrance storage is directly linked to how easy it is to keep the entire house tidy

and so on,

which is quite realistic.

Furthermore,

it also raises questions about glass-walled houses.

They may look good, but their insulation performance is poor.

The perspective that windows should be considered separately in terms of

・Appearance (sense of openness)
・Function (lighting and thermal efficiency)

is also quite interesting.

And finally, what is important is that,excellent architects are also excellent observers of human nature.

While it seems like they are designing a house, they are actually designing 'how people live'.

🗣 In modern terms...

Home building is more about 'understanding people' than 'floor plans'.

💡 What you will gain from reading this

• How to think about a comfortable home
• The essence of residential design
• A sense of discomfort with modern housing
• Tips for ease of living

👤 My take

What I felt after reading this book is that 'a house reveals one's philosophy of life'.

Large living rooms
High ceilings
Glass walls

Rather than such 'obvious luxury', what is actually important is,

where you are, how you spend your time, and how you interact with others.

In short,

I realized that a house is a vessel for human relationships.

What left a particularly strong impression was the idea that 'making a living room larger doesn't necessarily create family harmony.'

That is quite fundamental.
Ultimately, people gather in places where there is a 'purpose'.

That is why,

people naturally gather in a living-dining area that has a dining table.

Also, the critique of modern housing that seeks too much efficiency is interesting.

If you trim away too much 'waste,' it actually becomes stifling.

I felt this applies not just to houses, but to life in general.

Although it is an architecture book, it was an excellent read that really makes you think about 'humanity'.