Recently YA's Shinya Yamada gave a guest lecture to a group of architecture/planning/preservation students from the University of Maryland. The lecture, titled The Sensibilities of Traditional Residential Architecture in Kyoto, was held at one of the city's superbest Sukiya-style buildings which allowed students to physically experience the subject matter on the spot.
Starting with the topic of sensitive use of shadow & light depicted by In Praise of Shadows, the essay from the 1930s, the lecture discussed Wabi aesthetics along with tea house/Sukiya architecture. Design of Machiya was also discussed in detail, casting light on its practicality as a high-density live-work urban housing type. Some construction site photos and anecdotes of YA's Machiya renovation projects were shared.
