Minka Typology

The Minka House is a Japanese typology meaning “house of the people”, as it is a typical vernacular home for the commoner. As this typology becomes less and less common, the documentation of these historical structures becomes increasingly relevant.

 

The specific type of Minka our team focused on was the Hama House, it is one of the oldest examples of a Gasso-Zukuri Minka typology in the Gokayama area of Toyama prefecture. The characteristically steep pitch of this type was developed during the middle of the Edo Period (1603-1868) when the silkworm cultivation boomed in Japan.

 

This collection of construction drawings documents the standard Minka building elements using the Hama House as a starting point.

 

Accomplished using AutoCAD, Illustrator

Completed Spring 2017

Team: Daniela Déu, Erin Hickey, and Sydney Matsumoto