In the Japanese Colonial period (1895–1945), Japanese Buddhists built branch monasteries in Taiwan to proselytize; they also set up schools, which, after World War II, were transformed into non–religious, private schools, which continue to coexist with public schools. This paper takes the Private Taiwan Buddhist Middle School as an example to illustrate its background and academic activities in connection with the space and form of its campus buildings. It also examines the development and changes in Buddhist–run school architecture at various stages. All these things make it clear that in spite of the unwillingness of the authorities to consent to privately–sponsored middle schooling at first, the ardent desire the Taiwanese people expressed for education later turned the fate of their schools around. The schools eventually earned official support, and became certified, changing from academies for trainee priests into public–school equivalents for ordinary people. Accordingly, the architecture of the school buildings took a favorable turn away from the traditional Buddhist temples toward modern western–style complexes.

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This paper analyzes the measurements regarding the urban elements used by the Spaniards for the foundation and design of the Spanish–American cities created on the American continent over three centuries during the colonial period. The measurements analyzed are from the urban elements of the plaza, streets, and blocks.
The study was accomplished based on the following: 1) study of the measurements in the theoretical models and in the reticular main cities of Spanish urbanism until the 16^th century, 2) study of the measurements in the Laws of the Indies (1573), and 3) by analysis of the measurements used in the cities created on the American continent, through the study of cartography corresponding to the Colonial Spanish period.
In the urban models used during three centuries by the Spaniards on the American continent the use of some particular measurement is evident (besides the common use of urban reticular traces). These measurements have a theoretical and practical base in Spain since the 12^th century.

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This article uses the Old Neihu Quarry as a case study to discuss design strategy for the recovery and maintenance of a disappearing cultural heritage through the process of rebirth and environmental sustainability. Based on the history research method and fieldwork, this study investigates the history of the construction of the Taipei City Wall and investigates the strategy of environmental sustainability of the Old Neihu Quarry. The design strategy for the reconstruction of the Old Neihu Quarry should include space for expositions; a place within the quarry park for rock climbing, an Eco–museum and experience of the mining activity. The strategy should integrate the landscape layout with the historical stones forming a self–exploratory trail in a natural order, representing its original historical condition as well as showing the later changes. By using historical remains, an Eco–museum should be built through the artistic rebirth of the cultural landscape and heritage.

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This work attempts to reconstruct the eastern sector of old Saida, based on an a map in ″Mission to Phoenicia″ written by Ernest Renan in 1864. The eastern sector went under dramatic changes of shape and function and the eastern borders had dissolved by the end of 19^th century and turned into an open market that played an important role in the city′s economic and social life. Renan′s map showed features that were investigated by comparison with the current site, together with a field survey and the works of various historians and orientalists. It was possible to identify some urban features in Renan′s map and we concluded that it is reliable. We verified the 1864 map using the data collected for the buildings, the street network and the city limits, and for those parts that had changed we relied on Renan′s map.

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Around 1930 the Modern Movement in Architecture was widespread throughout Europe and America. The next and predictable step was the search for regions that were on the whole deprived of a firm sense of civil building procedures. To a certain extent, the tropics were such an area. Their authorities, mostly for want of social organization or techniques, welcomed the import of a new industrial system of construction which seemed efficient and unprejudiced, instead of creating their own ways from fear they might be old–fashioned. However, as modern fabrics had stemmed from temperate conditions the progress of these was hindered by unsuspected features of the tropical climate: monsoons, earthquakes and hot spells. In the present research, the authors hope to contribute to a careful examination of the designs conceived in Japan to overcome this major contradiction of modern architecture and to provide some hints for the future in Asia. This was done by using accepted scientific design methods such as computer simulation, duly tested by virtue of on–site measurements. As eminent illustrations we will discuss the works of Bruno Taut and Antonin Raymond that were subsequently extended to India or Turkey among other countries.

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Regionalism in Asia has so far been debated within the discourse of post colonial struggles to exert a cultural identity in the face of globalization. This paper however adopts the perspective that strands of regionalist thinking were already evident during the colonial period. Colonial shophouses in a selected case study area in Singapore′s Chinatown are used to illustrate the constant interaction and negotiation of the different strands of influence within the specificities of time and place. Through a quantitative analysis of the façades of these shophouses, the study attempts to illustrate the rich tapestry of a hybrid architectural landscape woven by strands of ″influence″ including ethnic identity, colonial imposition and tropical living in the search for identity by the local community.

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Tourism is one of Okinawa′s leading industries, and in recent years green tourism has been developing for the purpose of improving tourism quality with increasing attention from levels such as administration, practitioners, tourists and local residents. Taking the on–site experience and exchange activities between cities and farming, forestry and fishing villages in Okinawa as research examples, the authors examine green tourism development trends from the perspective of prefectural administration, city, town and village administration levels as well as those of practitioners; and examine the present state of green tourism development by taking Higashi Village as a case study; pointing out areas in need of improvement. The research shows the following results. Firstly, because the rapid increase in practitioner numbers correlates with growing green tourism needs, administrative guidance and facility improvement is slow. Secondly, from the case study of Higashi Village, it is found that in carrying out green tourism activities, mainly agricultural experience and farm village home–stays, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry plays a key role, and green tourism development aims are consciously considered. Moreover, appropriate green tourism exchange facility maintenance, deregulation of the Hotel Business Law and Fire Regulations are also necessary.

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In order to improve the quality of everyday life in urban areas, it is important to properly design public spaces such as plazas and streets where urban residents spend many hours during commuting and their spare time. One of the hardest problems at the initial stage of environmental design is the verification and evaluation of the planning of environmental space before actual construction. The virtual reality (VR) technology could be one of the solutions for this kind of problem. Although several technologies have been introduced, such as head–mounted display (HMD) and PC–monitor–based VR (including web–3D), the lack of a sense of presence, as well as interaction methods are still unresolved issues. Therefore, we are suggesting the use of a multiprojection display system with multimodal interfaces, which is our original system for virtual experience, as a potential candidate to solve the lack of presence and interaction. In this study, several experiments related to urban environmental design evaluation have been carried out. The first was about the evaluation and verification of public space design such as those of arcades and eaves above streets between high–rise buildings. The result showed that there was an emotional release from the oppressive feeling in the streets between high–rise buildings when an appropriate arcade design was adopted compared with when no arcade was adopted. The second was about human behavior in public open spaces concerning seat preference in public squares and the distribution of the surrounding people. Furthermore, we carried out several basic psychophysical experiments on human distance perception in virtual space, which revealed the compression of distance perception in VR space. In this paper, we also introduce one of the main points of this study, which is the unique and elaborate cooperative relationship between architectural and nonarchitectural departments of our university when conducting human behavior experiments using heavily computer–oriented devices. To carry out the experiments, the multiprojector display system, D–vision, which has a 180° viewing angle, and the original navigation interface, Turn–table, were used to provide a high sense of presence and high–resolution images to the user.

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In developing countries, a general lack of experience exists in construction management implementation. This study introduces a methodology to evaluate human resource management processes in construction projects. The study used inputs, outputs, and tools and techniques recommended by the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK, 2004). The opinions of experts in the field of construction projects were collected regarding the managerial parameters and tools of interest. The analytic hierarchy process was used to evaluate the ranking of each parameter. The performance of each process was determined based on the importance weighting and the proposed efficiency of each variable. The results of the implementation showed considerable progress in project planning, but team development and team management need much more attention. The study presents a methodology for human resource assessment in the construction industry and the findings are applicable to Kuwait and similar developing countries.

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In Hokkaido, a snowy and cold region of Japan, indoor playgrounds that allow children to play in an outdoor atmosphere have been growing in number. The important characteristics of space planning were clarified through the study of nine major indoor playgrounds and detailed analysis of three selected cases. Such indoor playgrounds serve as gathering points for people from a diverse range of generations, including infants, elementary and junior high school students, parents, grandparents, and groups. They provide a space that encourages various activities of not only children but also adults. The important space characteristics that enhance the environment for example are the consideration of various physical activities, proximity of play area and rest area which allow easy visual contact, appropriate relationship between the indoor playground and outdoor play area to encourage outdoor activities, and considerations for group.

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Our group developed a town–reconstruction design game (the Machizukuri design game) and used it to create designs for Takeda–Nezaki, a district of a small castle town in Fukushima Prefecture. This paper reports our efforts to develop conference tools to aid community development by identifying and analyzing the spatial images generated by the Machizukuru design game. Our major findings and accomplishments include the following: 1. Some of the 39 spatial images developed using the reconstruction game were commonly shared by different game participants and were strongly related with each other. 2. We developed several image types to represent these commonly shared and strongly interrelated spatial images as conference tools for community design. 3. When these image types were used at a mock community design conference, almost all of the conference participants rated them as useful.

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Reducing human–caused CO₂ emissions to acceptable levels must become a global objective of our modern society. One way to meet this objective is to introduce a constraint on household annual CO₂ emission (HACO₂). However, behaviors that reduce CO₂ emissions, may appear too expensive, or to worsen living conditions. Although the goal of controlling CO₂ emissions is widely accepted, in practice it is not easy to reduce energy consumption. This paper develops a CO₂ emission trading scheme (CETS) framework for households based on the definition HACO₂. In this study, a city′s CO₂ emission is assumed to be the sum of all HACO₂. The CO₂ constraint for a single household is determined by the city′s total CO₂ emission reduction target. Multi–agent simulator is applied to clarify household behavior–selections under such constraint, and to find the effects of total CO₂ emission within the urban model. Simulations are performed with CETS (Case 1) and without CETS (Case 2). Results indicate 1) Under a CO₂ constraint, agents choose behaviors to meet the HACO₂ constraint. Total CO₂ emissions within the urban model decrease toward the pre–determined reduction target. 2) The CETS framework for household level is proved not only cost–efficient but also promotes the process of reducing CO₂ emissions. 3) An agent that acts for self–benefit will not consider the completeness of the total target. As a result, the reduction target within the urban model is never achieved even with the implementation of CETS.

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This paper offers a preliminary examination of similarities between the Japanese suburb and many of the concepts promoted by the anti–sprawl movement in North America, commonly referred to as smart growth (also known as New Urbanism or Pedestrian oriented Development). As the first phase of a larger project, the research focused on a case study suburb in the city of Toyama, Japan. A mid–sized city, with a population of approximately 420,000, Toyama′s suburbs are less influenced by population and land pressures common to a large metropolis such as Tokyo. Typological similarities with Smart Growth concepts, in the form of mixed land use, connectivity between neighbourhoods, and access to open space were nonetheless found. More interesting, a similarity with the radical New Urbanist concept of ″form–based zoning″ was also found. This is significant as it appears to have allowed a process of nearly continuous small–scale change in the case–study suburb extending back for at least 23 years. Though the extent to which the findings can be generalised for all of Japan′s suburbs remains uncertain, implications are briefly considered for both Japan and North America.

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This paper aims to analyze the rehabilitation process in Banda Aceh after the tsunami, focusing on the housing supply as of August 2005. The paper also reveals a community–based approach in a settlement named Deah Glumpang. The main findings are outlined as follows.
The basic process of the rehabilitation of urban settlements consists of the following four steps. i) confirmation of the survivors, ii) confirmation of the boundary between plots and making of maps (PS), iii) land consolidation (LC) and iv) supply of permanent houses. There were two organizations active in the rehabilitation process. UN–Habitat adopted a community–based approach. ADB adopted a comprehensive approach to rehabilitate the settlement by drawing up a master plan to reconstruct the infrastructure and surrounding environment prior to housing supply. The initial permanent housing model led to a mismatch between the proposal and the actual needs, especially in the inner–city situations where people were hoping to obtain houses with better conditions.

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This study examined remaining and changing characteristics of the residential use of the common space and the neighborhood relationship before and after the program in one district in Busan, Korea where an on–the–spot improvement of the housing environment amelioration program in hillside high–density areas was carried out. The results of this research were as follows.
Currently many residents (61 people, 90.2%) are using the common space with less frequency. Before the program, many residents (35 people, 48.6%) used it every day, but after the program, most residents (43 people, 59.7%) use it two or three times a month, indicating a tendency towards decreased participation. Residents who have lived in the area more than 20 years use the common space less frequently because the use itself has changed. A well, which was the main common space in the district before the program and which was used by many residents, was removed due to the repair of roads for the program. Also, six common spaces were used before and after the program that were influenced very much by the program and went through changes such as increased size (three places), renovation (one place), relocation (one place) and dispersion (one place). Regular cleanup tended to be carried out collectively by members of the Housewives′ Club and the Elders′ Club. These groups were newly organized after the program.

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The importance of a visualization tool to improve public participation is becoming increasingly recognized within the urban planning and design community. The effective application of such a visualization tool in this context, however, remains relatively under explored. Based on a case study in which townscape rules were drawn up as a result of consensus through the landscape improvement committee of Nanao city, Japan, this paper discusses the potential and limitations of a visualization tool in improving public involvement for the purpose of reaching consensus on townscape rules at a district level. In addition, this paper reveals the need for a knowledge–based database system linking with VRML objects for powering a visualization tool to provide necessary information to assist in decision–making.

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The study intends to assess the sustainability of super high–rise residential complexes from the viewpoint of residents. For the purpose of this study, the research first reviewed the KGBCC (Korean Green Building Certification Criteria) and related research materials. Secondly, it established sustainability indicators for assessment through synthesis of the KGBCC and UN Habitat Agenda. Finally, the assessment was completed by a survey of the residents of two similar super high–rise residential complexes.
The analysis shows that sustainability of super high–rise residential complexes in Korea is low, and the area of ecological environment, energy use and indoor environment must be improved to enhance sustainability. Moreover, the following ten items have to be improved; expansion of interior and exterior green spaces, the establishment of natural habitats, natural ventilation, energy saving, barrier–free planning, the use of environmentally friendly building materials, greening of artificial ground, wind disaster prevention, and expansion of built–in storage spaces.

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Public policy can significantly affect the design and quality of public spaces. This may be truer in Singapore than elsewhere. The making of new public spaces after Singapore′s independence has been attributed to the extensive authority and perhaps draconian powers of the building authorities. Enacted in 1966, The Land Acquisition Act empowered the Singapore government to compulsorily acquire land for public development, facilitating the acquisition and combination of fragmented lots. Such land is sold by public tender to private developers through the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme. The ensuing large footprint buildings with a strong public agenda have changed the landscape of Singapore. The resulting public spaces have been named State – Business Driven Public Spaces, or SBDPS, to reflect the close proximity and integration of state policies and business concerns. Through the examination of planning/design policies, plans, circulars, and land sale packages, this study examines how the GLS programme evolves and responds to Singapore′s economic and social conditions. It also explores the design review and evaluation process to reveal the hidden dynamics behind the development of public spaces, providing a clearer model to understand Singapore′s urban policy and to compare it against the regulatory structures of other countries.

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The domestic qualities that Tokyo offers to accommodate urban nomadism are found not only at the interior scale of the dividual space studied in Part I, but also in urban exterior spaces. This paper examines the functional features of these exterior spaces, created by the aggregation of ′zakkyo buildings′. Both cases, interior and exterior are classified as ′content space′ due to their commonalities. ′Content space′ is presented as a valid design paradigm that, however, must be considered within its specific socio–cultural context, examined in this paper using the theory of liminality.

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In this paper, the applicable range of the fourth–moment method for structural reliability is investigated and a simple fourth–moment reliability index is suggested. In the applicable range of the fourth–moment method, the simplicity and efficiency of the simple fourth–moment reliability index are demonstrated through several examples.

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In this study, a new nodal–based distribution method of material properties is proposed for material topology optimization in linear elastostatic structures. It is based on a design domain concept of a density distribution method (Bendsøe, 1989). Nodal densities of material properties are considered as optimization design variables. Geometric boundaries are represented by fixed grids, thus an Eulerian type of formulation is used for optimal interfaces. The objective is to obtain both optimal smooth shapes and topologies based on the design domain concept avoiding an excessive number of finite elements. This approach allows us to perform a nodal–based topology and shape optimization, which can be easily implemented in existing gradient–based optimization codes. Numerical examples demonstrate the efficiency of the present method.

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The classical Winkler model has often been used in many engineering fields. However, it has some shortcomings, because the adjacent displacements are discontinuous. In this paper, the Pasternak model — an improved continuum model — is applied to the surface displacement distribution analysis of an elastic layer with a finite depth in an axisymmetric condition. The parameters of the Pasternak model are determined by comparing its surface displacement distributions with those of a finite element analysis. On the basis of the results, the author proposes the non–dimensional characteristic values for the Pasternak model with a simple closed–form formulation of surface displacement distributions in the case of a rigid circular foundation on an elastic layer with a finite depth. The author then discusses the accuracy of the approximate formulation and the limits of its applicability.

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In a tropical climate, passive cooling is difficult to achieve with respect to mass housing design. A good house design keeps the indoor environment favorable and comfortable during most of the year without the use of any mechanical devices. Terraced houses are typical examples with low comfort problem that need particular consideration. Low air velocity and high air temperature are experienced during the daytime and the wind effect is not well captured, especially in the single sided ventilation. Use of natural ventilation has been increasingly examined as an energy–efficient means to provide thermal comfort as well as a healthy indoor environment. This paper discusses the validation of Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) results and the measurement of thermal comfort in Malaysia′s single storey terraced houses. The thermal environment and comfort conditions were investigated using field measurement and CFD technique. Validation of CFD FloVent was carried out through the comparison of field measurements. Comparison of the results between simulations and measurements illustrated a good agreement. The simulations were performed on a selected day in a one–year climate condition. The results indicated that the design of single storey terraced houses is not effective in providing natural ventilation for achieving thermal comfort. The microclimate condition surrounding the terraced house indicated very low wind speed. Therefore, modification of the natural ventilation mechanism using a solar chimney as induced ventilation needs to be manifested and evaluated.

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The Japanese residential energy saving standard for new house generation was modified in 1999, in which ″specification standards″ were provided as decision criteria for designers. However, there are several methods for lowering the energy consumption of houses which are not evaluated by these standards.
In this paper, we predict the change in heating and cooling load by difference of location, planning and specification of a model house, which are not evaluated by ″the specification standards″. We then examine the effectiveness of passive energy methods which are also not considered by the standard.

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This study was conducted to clarify the heat load characteristics and heat and moisture behavior of underground structures. The authors achieved this by carrying out a numerical analysis using simple heat diffusion and simultaneous heat and moisture transfer equations based on measurement data reported in a previous paper (Park et al., 2006). This paper presents the results of a numerical analysis on the heat load characteristics and heat and moisture behavior of an underground basement and its surrounding ground under a condition of internal heat generation. The authors found it difficult to predict the heat behavior and heat load of the underground basement by simple heat diffusion alone. Accurate prediction of the thermal environment and heat load requires careful consideration of the influences of moisture and precipitation.

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Here, we propose a new energy supply system for the urban renewal area of Nagoya, which would create a safer, more eco–friendly city. The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and improved earthquake measures to maintain energy supply systems and a reliable energy supply have not been studied in sufficient detail. In the present study, we focused on emergency generators within buildings in urban areas and the surplus capacity of district heating and cooling (DHC) plants as unutilized energy sources. Combined heat and power systems (CHPs) can be used in both emergency situations and under normal conditions. Thus, we propose replacing emergency generators with highly efficient CHPs and networking them as a new method for organizing an energy supply system that contributes to increases in both eco–friendliness and the safety of the city in the event of earthquakes. We also discuss the surplus capacity of district heating and cooling (DHC) plants as parts of the network. We examine a case study in an urban area of Nagoya, and calculate the effectiveness of our proposal.

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