Foreign affairs: two San Francisco architects practicing in Japan learn to be prepared for anything - perspective

The myriad technical regulations that influence the creation of housing in Japan call for a focus on the fundamental principles of livability: natural, light, flexible space, and a sense of home. That's a focus we would have in any context, though. What our Japan experience really taught us was the importance of flexibility in designing housing abroad. We learned that we have to be able to accommodate those inevitable requirements so ingrained in local practice that they're not mentioned until late in the design process.

Adele Naude Santos, FAIA, is a professor of architecture at UC Berkeley's College of Environmental Design. She and Bruce C. Prescott, AIA, are partners at Santos Prescott and Associates in San Francisco.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Hanley-Wood, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group