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Shiratori Plan – Low-Rise High-Density Housing
1990 to 1991The Shiratori Plan in Nagoya asked for an integrated neighborhood for 550 families at an overall density of 80 families per acre, on a 6.24 acres site, with an average area of 72 square meters per unit and total area of construction 350,000 square feet. The normal type followed in such a big city was high-density housing built in 14-story free-standing apartment buildings. Alexander's proposal was to accomodate the same number units, on the same site, but in 2 1/2 story (2 stories plus an attic story) buildings, arranged along narrow lanes, and with small private gardens.
Widely publicized in the Japanese press, and widely discussed in Japan. .
Contents
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The Shiratori Plan: Discussing aspects and main factors of the project, expressing his concerns and ways to ease people's understanding on the plan. References to the preparation of a book for the project, as one of favorable models fo living environment.
04/06/1990
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The Shiratori Plan: Updating Christopher Alexander on his meeting with top officials in the Ministry of Education in Tokyo that could possibly lead to a more favorable attitude by the ministry towards the new school they have been thinking about. Also, he is expressing his thoughts and suggestions on the book title and contents relating to the Shiratori Plan project, which would help the involved families to fully understand its advantages and therefore offer a strong support to materialize it
13/06/1990
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The Shiratori Plan: Discussing various thoughts and ideas about how to approach verbiage changes in the chapters' contents, moving certain parts to other areas etc. Discussion and suggestions are made about the contents relating to Kodan and the responsibilities of the national housing agency regarding the wishes of the Japanese people
16/06/1990
SEE ALL Correspondence
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True Houses for the People of Japan - A Revolution in the Heart and the Fundamental Change in Architecture, Banking and Technology
01/01/1990
15-page early draft containing the title pages, table of contents, the Introduction and an unfinished chapter on “The Essence of the Human Heart”.
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The Precious Jewel - The Shiratori Plan
01/01/1991
167-page manuscript of the “old version” of the Precious Jewel report, organized in seven chapters after a concise Introduction. The manuscript contains handwritten editing notes by Alexander. It addresses the crisis in high-rising living environment in Japan, as manifested in ...
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Crisis in Japanese Democracy - The Shiratori Plan
01/01/1991
Two draft copies of manuscript discussing the need for a high density, low rise solution to the housing crisis in Japan. Speaks to post war shifts in the direction of architectural solutions to housing and the response by the Japanese ...
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The Shiratori Plan - Low Rise High Density Plans: Initial Discussions
30/07/1989
35-page document recording the daily discussions which took place from 30-Jul-1989 to 03-Aug-1989 between Mr. Tokio Kamiya, Director of Urban Improvement Projects and Christopher Alexander. Alexander had been invited to visit the project site, a former exhibition area in the ...
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The Shiratori Plan - Low Rise High Density Plan: Cost Comparison Between Low Rise and High Rise
01/01/1990
2-page cost analysis to compare the cost of low-rise housing to high-rise in different areas in Japan; the comparison starts from 2-storey building up to 14-storey.
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The Shiratori Plan - Low Rise High Density Plan: High or Low. User Participation in High Density Housing - Declaration
01/01/1990
2-page statement prepared to be signed by the organizing committee of “High or Low” group in Nagoya, Japan, demanding a change in the approach of high density and high rise apartment developments towards the better and more humane high density ...
SEE ALL Records
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The Shiratori Plan - Low-Rise High-Density Housing: Photographs of drawings
2 2) Aerial perspective of site plan
01/01/1990
Two views of the site plan, which give an overview of the 500 apartments on 2.5 hectares of land. They portray the humane character of the place, with its narrow parallel lanes, gardens and small houses, on both sides of ...
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The Shiratori Plan - Low-Rise High-Density Housing: Photographs of drawings
3 3) Occassional parking accomodation along one side of the lanes
01/01/1990
Three perspective drawings of the row houses and the neighborhood lanes.
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The Shiratori Plan - Low-Rise High-Density Housing: Photographs of drawings
01/01/1990
Axonometric drawing showing the row houses, with their building volumes and articulated façades and the gardens tucked in between two adjacent rows of houses, with the streets on the other side.
SEE ALL Photographs
References
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The Sequence of Unfolding - Generative Codes for the Design Process
In architecture, as in other things, the "right" sequence is of vital importance. It is a generative sequence of progressive differentiations, which allow space to unfold in the right order. Each differentiation acts on the product of the previous ...
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The Uniqueness of People's Individual Worlds, Always Respected and Manifested
In the last two centuries "modular" design has produced identical apartments, arranged in typical apartment blocks. The same is true for mass-produced furniture. Uniqueness, which expresses personal needs and whiches, and which springs from the need to adapt and connect ...
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Participation of the Users in the Design Process - Testing and Applying Pattern Languages and Layout Rules
Christopher Alexander believed that people have a right to determine and shape their environment. The genuine and wholehearted involvement of the users in the shaping of their buildings contributes positively to good architecture. It gives life, identity and personal qualities ...
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Community Housing and Planning work with Japanese Families
01/01/1992
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21st Century Urban Design Convention "Design of Cities and Environments"
16/11/1989 to
17/11/1989
The convention celebrated the 100th birthday of the modern city of Nagoya. Christopher Alexander was invited to give the principal address; on November 16, he delivered a 120-minute speech on “The City of the 21st Century: Its Wholeness and Life ...
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Nagoya Forum for Living Environment
26/05/1990
Christopher Alexander was invited to give the keynote speech; his speech titled “Low or High” was on the Shiratori plan, a housing project in Nagoya in which the required density was achieved with low-rise instead of high-rise buildings.
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The Precious Jewel: Letter discussing possible publication of book in English and Japanese; working draft attached
17/03/1993
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Nagoya Forum for Living Environment: Response with extensive comments by Hosoi to a draft letter written by Christopher Alexander and forwarded to him for checking. The draft letter addressed to the organizer of the May 26 Forum, comments on the way the meeting has been organized and makes suggestions on how to strengthen the reality of actual projects, this being one of the main goals of the meeting. It is on this subject that Alexander seeks advice from Hosoi.
08/05/1990
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Nagoya Forum for Living Environment: Initial draft letter by Christopher Alexander to the organizer of the Forum, which besides confirming Alexander's acceptance of the invitation to speak at the May 26 Forum, comments on the way the meeting has been organized and makes suggestions on how to strengthen the reality of actual projects, this being one of the main goals of the meeting.
27/04/1990
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"Low-Rise High-Density Housing in Nagoya" Lead Editorial: Original text of article
23/03/1990
Original text of the same title article published in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
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The Shiratori Plan - Low Rise High Density Plan: Table of Contents
14/06/1990
2-page handwritten table of contents that contains a basic outline to six chapters and also an introduction and a conclusion titled “Ending: Our Proposal”. Chapters included: 1) The Wish of the Japanese People as essence of the Human Heart; 2) ...
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Nagoya Forum for Living Environment: Keynote speech by Christopher Alexander
26/05/1990
Proceedings of the 1st Seminar on Living Environment, published by Nagoya Living Environment Conference. It icludes Christopher Alexander’s keynote speech titled “High or Low”, deliverd during the event; it presented the Shiratori Plan, and focused on the advantages and qualities ...