Revival of Edonomy’s “nagaya” housing showcases eco-community living

Even in the 18th century, Tokyo, or the old “Edo,” was the largest city in the world with a population of around one million (London was next, with 630,000). Lords and noble samurai families lived in spacious houses with gardens around the Edo Castle, but the vast majority, commoners and lower-ranking samurai, found merits in collective housing to share resources.

The sustainability and social cohesion of traditional nagaya

Nagaya was a long wooden housing complex under the same ridge, usually one or two stories high, divided into small compartments for rent. Each unit had a bedroom and a small kitchen, while the well, toilet and waste facilities were shared, and the tenants used a collective bath (sento). This practice not only conserved water and firewood for heating but also facilitated the efficient collection and disposal of sewage, while fostering socialization and community cohesion. This communal living model was instrumental in the urban growth of Tokyo. (As I happen to be reading about life in Victorian London, descriptions of the hygiene and living conditions among the poor are deplorable).

Nagaya style of architecture is still around, now called the Townhouse or the Terrace House, but gone is the community networking aspect. It is simply one of the modern-day rental options without the common space (e.g., shared entrance, elevators, etc) typical of apartment buildings.

Architectural innovations for sustainable eco-communities

Some architects have begun to revive the nagaya design, inclusive of its resource-sharing elements, thereby enabling sustainable living. One such example is the award-winning “Satoyama Nagaya” by Architect Takahiro Yamada. His Bioform Architecture Design Studio aims to be a pioneer of the “Japanese eco-community” that connects the environment, the neighbors, and the locality through a collective housing project inspired by nature’s circularity.

Specifically, Satoyama Nagaya in Fujino, Kanagawa, are built on locally sourced natural materials and traditional Japanese mud wall and flooring systems. This not only utilizes the built-in ventilation and heat retaining/releasing functions of the native materials, perfectly suited for their weather conditions, but also allows for potential composting of parts of the building in the future.

Other features to minimize carbon footprint and enhance sustainability include solar energy system, wood stove, rainwater harvesting and reuse for sewerage, and skylights for air circulation and natural lighting. Four families live in this nagaya, and they enjoy both the privacy of individual units and the proximity and companionship of each other through the use of the common space, such as a garden.

Urban replication: Modernizing nagaya for sustainable living

This eco-community design and architecture can be replicated in urban areas. Yamada’s another project in Tsujido, Kanagawa, has four individual rental units that share a community farm, a well, a rainwater harvesting tank and a compost. Each unit is built similarly to Satoyama Nagaya with solar energy and other energy-saving features, and the space between them is dotted with fruit trees to form an edible garden. The front door and kitchen of each unit face the common space so that they can harvest fresh produce, cook together and watch over kids playing there.

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Additionally, Tsujido nagaya is connected to other assets of the property owner in the area. For example, an abandoned bamboo forest nearby is the source of ground cover for the nagaya’s walking path and parking space.

The ecological design of the nagaya has the potential to uplift the whole community. The revival of nagaya could serve as a solution to address the social and environmental disconnect of modern-day living.