Orlando Sentinel: Saving Japan's houses, history
Karl Bengs is passionate about polishing "gems" in Japan. He is a German architect who has attracted increasing amounts of attention for his work to restore old Japanese houses. For many years, Bengs has searched for old houses and buildings and breathed new life into them by preserving their traditional features while at the same time modernizing the interiors to create comfortable living spaces. "Old houses are like gems. They will shine if we polish and take good care of them," the 64-year-old Bengs said...His goal is not simply to restore the structure to its original state, Bengs said. To make the homes more comfortable to live in and to showcase his original designs, the architect incorporates functional, German-made materials and devices such as sash windows, ceramic roof tiles and lighting fixtures. He also makes bold use of unusual colors, such as pink and yellow to paint the exterior walls of traditional Japanese houses and buildings. Such attempts to combine Japanese and European tastes have been well-received and often-covered by the media. As a result, Bengs, who has run his own firm, Karl Bengs & Associates Ltd., in Tokamachi since 1998 now receives orders from across the nation...more...
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