Minka, Machiya, and Gassho-Zukuri, Procedural Generation of Japanese Traditional Houses

Abstract

Minka (traditional folk house), machiya (historic town house), and gassho-zukuri (farmhouse conserved in the World Heritage villages) have individual characteristics in terms of their geometric shapes and are strongly affected by the local landscape in Japan. These houses are the archetypes of Japanese residences and their genotypes are alive in contemporary designs. This paper presents the procedural generation of these three types of Japanese traditional houses. Minka’s distinctive characteristics in appearance can be found in the roof combined with hip and gable shapes, called irimoya. Machiya’s characteristics can be found in the configuration of traditional lattice windows, called koushi-mado. Gassho-zukuri has a unique shape of a steeply inclined roof, which looks like praying hands. All of these procedures are implemented in CGA shape grammar language and are used in conservation design processes of traditional settlements. They are also planned to be used in the reconstruction design process from the Great East Japan Earthquake.