In
addition to the Gassho Zukuri buildings shown on the previous page,
there are numerous additional building styles represented in this
open air museum. Each is a response to its local climate and
other functional demands, not just of aesthetics. So in the
example on the bottom row you can see straw matting placed directly
onto the mud subfloor, not (just) because it was significantly
cheaper than constructing a suspended floor of timber, but because
it tended to be warmer and more draught free in winter. |