Japanese architecture ideas

[Saionji Shonagon]

admin said:

I'm going to give it a shot, but I was stymied yesterday at the first step.

Left foot, right foot....

I have faith in you, tomodachi.

[Saionji Shonagon]

Possible random genius idea: bed rail brackets?

[solveig]

Noble Cousin!

AH HA! You are in the "Golden" state. That means that you are in great luck. The natives understand garden styling ala Sunset Magazine and they don't make you slop paint on every exposed piece of wood. I say go for it. Japanese style gardens are actually pretty common around where you live. And no, most real life Japanese do not have the time to prune things every day. You can simplify your gardening by putting in things that don't need cutting. For example, replace grass with moss, ferns, and low lying shrubs. Moss is wonderful ground cover which is much more Japanese than grass and requires much less maintainance. Did I mention that I have phantasized about having a Japanese garden since Junior High School.

[madyaas]

solveig said:

Noble Cousin!

AH HA! You are in the "Golden" state. That means that you are in great luck. The natives understand garden styling ala Sunset Magazine and they don't make you slop paint on every exposed piece of wood. I say go for it. Japanese style gardens are actually pretty common around where you live. And no, most real life Japanese do not have the time to prune things every day. You can simplify your gardening by putting in things that don't need cutting. For example, replace grass with moss, ferns, and low lying shrubs. Moss is wonderful ground cover which is much more Japanese than grass and requires much less maintainance. Did I mention that I have phantasized about having a Japanese garden since Junior High School.

I actually have Sunset's garden encyclopedia and know my zone well (Zone 16).

I've seen some really nice Japanese styled planting medians around Monterey. There's a triangular island which is mostly decomposed gravel with a few boulders, and a very shapely pine. They knew what they were doing when they added it.

If I had just a few plants in the garden, I'd probably make it more of a Japanese styled one, but to use the typical plants requires a moister climate. Japanese maples burn to hell in the sea winds here and I have no large trees around. I do have grass, but I'm not psychotic about keeping it an inch high and emerald green. In fact, some of it's browning, but my style is rather laid back in regard to gardens (read: I am not a fan of knot gardens and parterres, but oddly enough I don't mind clipped shrubs in Japanese gardens).

As much as I like Japanese gardens, I prefer to just visit them, since as you say, we definitely have lots of them here in California.

[Otagiri Tatsuzou]

Doing it.
Well ... tomorrow is a day of forest restoration
And I still need to work my kusazuri, gauntlets and kabuto.

Maybe I'll just do it all on site!
But I bought most of the pieces tonight.

[Otagiri Tatsuzou]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Were are my skilled peasant workers?
Why am I spending so much time on this roof?
Especially when I don't like it.


(This temper-tantrum brought to you by Pennzac.
Ask your doctor if Pennzac is right for you.)

[Tatsuya]

I was discussing this earlier with Solveig-sensei. Perhaps we can compare notes. I have a couple design ideas thrown together but the roof is still the biggest PITA.

[Saionji Shonagon]

admin said:

Were are my skilled peasant workers?

Perhaps the growling frightened them off.

[Hosokawa Sanosuke]

I have a roof idea that I will throw out there with the risk of it being done by someone else first. I am trying to design a canvas roof that has roof tiles sewn on. not real roof tiles, but sections of the large diameter black plastic plumbing pipe cut to appropriate tile dimensions. the roof will then be held on to a wooden frame and stretched tight. I guess you could also nail the tiles to a piece of wood, but Im not that far down the design trail yet.

[madyaas]

ryomasoke said:

I have a roof idea that I will throw out there with the risk of it being done by someone else first. I am trying to design a canvas roof that has roof tiles sewn on. not real roof tiles, but sections of the large diameter black plastic plumbing pipe cut to appropriate tile dimensions. the roof will then be held on to a wooden frame and stretched tight. I guess you could also nail the tiles to a piece of wood, but Im not that far down the design trail yet.

I would probably spend a little time painting the plastic with a matte finish paint, if you can.

Are you planning to totally cover the canvas in the cut pipe? I can imagine how heavy it would be.

[Hosokawa Sanosuke]

yes the entire canvas will be covered in the pipes, just like the traditional roofing method, all architectural features will be included. I intend to sand the edges of the tiles and paint them as well as coat them with a nice shiny finish, as though they were glazed. the canvas is so the whole thing will fold up nicely when in transit. this is not a soon project, but when I get to it, it's how I intend to do it.

[roninpenguin]

The only real problem that I see with your tile idea is that if it does rain then the plastic pieces may actually hold water to the canvas and cause molding and rot if you don't dry the canvas properly. I was thinking about something similar where I would use plastic on the corners with the frame made to do that slight curve and then just airbrush the rest of the canvas to look like tile. Then I realized that most buildings that I saw of the size of the portable dwelling that I was looking to make used rush for the roof.

I was thinking of taking thin reed and sewing it onto a canvas piece, scotch guarding the crap out of the bottom to keep water from penetrating, then sewing that to another under layer of canvas just for extra strength. Well see if that flies after I get my current armor project done.

[Hosokawa Sanosuke]

yes that is a problem, I am still trying to decide if I am going to use canvas or a light ply or particle board, either way it will be done so that water will not penetrate down to the layer underneath, still need to do more research on the period methods. and yes the scale is going to be a bit off for the first one. but I am planning a rather ambitious collection of buildings walls and a gate for my entire clans use at large events so as to give the impression of a castle. anyone know If roof tiles are a full half circle? I was wondering if I could get away with a third of a circle, will cut weight and save loads of money.

[madyaas]

ryomasoke said:

anyone know If roof tiles are a full half circle? I was wondering if I could get away with a third of a circle, will cut weight and save loads of money.

I have a Chinese roof tile., which is essentially the same in construction to a typical Japanese roof tile, and it's about slightly less than a half circle, so a third might work. It's also faced with a round medallion featuring a dragon as it's one of the end tiles. I cam see why despite wood frame costruction, people in Japan often die in earthquakes in tiled roof houses because this piece I have weighs about 5 lbs.

Anyway, I would also use bigger diameter pipes cut into thirds to simulate the flatter tiles that sit under the narrower upturned tiles. Tiles all of the same width are more Spanish tile in appearance to me than Japanese.

[Saionji Shonagon]

I have seen the yashiki, I have lounged upon its slatted floors and found it good. I do hope Our Moderator posts some photos soon, but you'd be amazed at what one can do with two bays of a three bay car port.

In semi-related news, I have been contemplating an appropriate setting for my own humble little sake tasting next month, within the limits of what I can reasonably do with the resources to hand.

I currently camp in a wedge tent that looks like this:
Yes. I know. It's not Japanese in the slightest, but it's what I have to work with and this may or may not be a one-shot deal.

What I'm thinking of doing is adding a second set of poles and running one of the tent's sides up and out like an awning. I'd screen off the back half of the tent with a noren (or blinds) suspended from the inside of the ridge pole. I'll most likely do a noren as I can do that out of inexpensive fabric in the size I need and decorate as I like. I have found some battery-lit paper lanterns that could be hung from a line suspended from the front poles. Straw mats, cushions, a low table (a sheet of plywood and four IKEA plant stands should do it).