Professor Martin Morris "Sustainability and the Traditional Architecture of Japan: Cities That Could Revert to Summer Grass"

Duration: 53 mins 57 secs

Share this media item:

Embed this media item:

<iframe width="_width_" height="_height_" src="https://sms.cam.ac.uk/media/1077102/embed" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Choose size:

About this item

Available Formats

About this item

Description:	ABSTRACT: This talk considers the traditional architecture of Japan from the standpoint of sustainability. With its preference for renewable biodegradable timbernot masonryas its principal structural material, the ecological credentials of Japanʼs pre-modern building tradition already seem excellent. However, alongside choice of materials is another aspect, arguably of equal significance, which can succinctly be expressed as “lightness of footprint”. It is this, together with a related propensity for recycling, which I want to highlight, demonstrating through the example of traditional Japan its compatibility with a high material culture. BIOGRAPHY: Martin Morris was born in Cambridge in 1956 and studied architecture at Cambridge University (Dipl. Arch, 1982). Awarded a Monbusho Scholarship to study at the Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University in 1983, he took his doctorate there in 1995. Since 1996 he has taught architectural history at Chiba University, Japan, as lecturer, associate professor and, since 2007, Professor. Research areas include: The house types of pre-modern Japan, comparative study of the history of architecture, settlement and landscape in East and West (focused on Japan and England), architectural conservation.

Description:

ABSTRACT:
This talk considers the traditional architecture of Japan from the standpoint of sustainability. With its preference for renewable biodegradable timbernot masonryas its principal structural material, the ecological credentials of Japanʼs pre-modern building tradition already seem excellent. However, alongside choice of materials is another aspect, arguably of equal significance, which can succinctly be expressed as “lightness of footprint”. It is this, together with a related propensity for recycling, which I want to highlight, demonstrating through the example of traditional Japan its compatibility with a high material culture.

BIOGRAPHY:
Martin Morris was born in Cambridge in 1956 and studied architecture at Cambridge University (Dipl. Arch, 1982). Awarded a Monbusho Scholarship to study at the Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University in 1983, he took his doctorate there in 1995. Since 1996 he has taught architectural history at Chiba University, Japan, as lecturer, associate professor and, since 2007, Professor. Research areas include: The house types of pre-modern Japan, comparative study of the history of architecture, settlement and landscape in East and West (focused on Japan and England), architectural conservation.


Created:	2010-10-25 17:48
Collection:	Martin Centre Research Seminar Series - 2010 Easter Term Martin Centre Research Seminar Series
Publisher:	University of Cambridge
Copyright:	M.Morris - Martin Centre
Language:	eng (English)

Available Formats

Format	Quality	Bitrate	Size
MPEG-4 Video	480x360	1.84 Mbits/sec	746.09 MB	View
Flash Video	480x360	567.9 kbits/sec	224.40 MB	View
Flash Video	320x240	504.65 kbits/sec	199.41 MB	View
iPod Video	480x360	505.43 kbits/sec	199.72 MB	View
QuickTime (for download)	384x288	849.19 kbits/sec	335.55 MB	View
QuickTime (for streaming)	480x360	904.31 kbits/sec	357.33 MB	View
MP3	44100 Hz	125.0 kbits/sec	49.17 MB	Listen
RealAudio		582.04 kbits/sec	228.93 MB	View	Stream
Auto *	(Allows browser to choose a format it supports)