Why do Japanese tear down their houses?

In Japan, a future buyer will demolish your house, so you have nothing to lose. Sellers will often knock down their own house before putting their land on the market, to spare potential buyers the cost of demolition.

Why are houses in Japan so small?

The strange angles present in many Japanese houses are an upshot of the country’s strict Sunshine Laws, which restricts the amount of shadow a building can cast. The small size of the houses is not only a reflection of the great demands made on a limited amount of land, but also a preference for familial contact.

Why are British houses so small?

Houses in Britain are small because Brits are so much poorer than Amercians. Also land prices are very high so what looks like a tiny house to an American will be unaffordable to many British families.

Why are houses in Canada made of wood?

Wood does not act as a thermal bridge, but as insulation, therefore keeping the house cool in the summer and warm in the winter, which makes it a much more sustainable construction house. Canadian houses are built quickly and are 30\% cheaper than traditional concrete and brick homes.

Why are houses built with wood instead of metal?

Wood is a better insulator than metal, concrete, or brick. Thus, energy costs are lower when using this material. Americans like comfort and affordable energy bills, and building with wood historically provided both.

Which country has the best built houses?

The overall winner of the competition and Global Homes category was a sprawling Italian Villa near Sardinia, Italy.

How much does a house cost in Japan?

A simple wood-framed house costs on average 200,000 Yen/sqm to build, while basic reinforced-concrete houses can cost anywhere from 450,000 Yen/sqm and up. Prices will rise depending on design and finish, with some luxury custom-builds costing up to 1,000,000 Yen/sqm+.

How long should a building last?

There is a growing thinking in architecture that buildings can be designed to last indefinitely, if you design the systems to be redone regularly. For example, most building systems do have a natural lifespan of about 40 years where mechanical parts start to wear out. But if those can be accessed they can be replaced.

Can a building on a lot be taller than a building?

So by default the building on the lot cannot exceed a limited maximum height, which is affected by the density or floor area of the building, thinner building is less dense, hence allowed to be higher (this is why many pencil-like skyscrapers like 111 West 57th Street started emerging in the city).

Why are skyscrapers not allowed to be built higher?

In some cities like San Francisco, shadow cast on nearby residential buildings can always prevent skyscrapers from being approved to be built higher. For instance, the Salesforce Tower was initially planned to be 370 meters tall but scaled down to only 326 meters due to the shadow issue.

Why are there so many tall buildings in America?

In China and Middle East, one of the major motives for developing tallest buildings is to improve the image and prestige of a city. For America, many cities in the country are already pretty well known in the world, they do not need a tallest building to improve the popularity.