Digital Ine-cho, Japan

INVESTIGATORS: A. Scott Howe (PI), Katalin Czege, grad student (Co-I), David Bloom, grad student (Co-I), Summer Young, grad student (Co-I). Sakaya "funaya" was measured by Katalin and Summer, and was modeled and photographec by Katalin. Traditional "funaya" was photographed and modeled by David. VRML production and coordination by Dr. Howe.

FUNDING: Supported by the town of Ine-cho, Japan.

PERIOD: 2001.

ABSTRACT: This research establishes a web-based protocol for measuring, photographing, and modeling for online archival of historically significant townscapes and single structures. Ine-cho is located on the Japan Sea in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, and has a unique architectural building style called a "funaya", which literally means "boat house". The town is linear along the coast of Ine Bay, with "funaya" built half over the water providing boat garages for fishing vessels. Two "funaya" structures were chosen for the study: a small inn called the "Sakaya" and a demonstration structure built to show traditional forms of construction for "funaya" in the previous century. Students measured the structures and later modeled them on Form-Z solid modeling software. In addition, photographs were taken of each of the facades of the structures, which were later squared in Photoshop image manipulation tool to function as bitmaps on the Form-Z building forms. Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) models were then output, and a sample webpage constructed.

Other relevant links, images, and animations:
Master plan for Ine-cho, Japan (PDF 25.1mb)
Animation of Sakaya "funaya" (3.5mb)
VRML webpage demonstration (VRML browser required)