In Japan, where typical houses are less than half the size of average American houses but cost two to three times more and maintain value for only about 20 years before they become worthless and are demolished, home builders are turning to Cornell University to learn how to build better, economical and energy-efficient homes.

Associate Professor Joseph Laquatra, a housing specialist in the Housing and Home Environment Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension, and other experts briefed Japanese builders on American house design and construction methods and techniques in a four-day short course he organized for the Housing Institute of Complete Project Management (HICPM) of Tokyo, Japan, June 10 through 13. Seven officers and members of this non-profit educational organization, including the president, an architect and translator, came to Cornell for the special course. HICPM's members represent various facets of Japan's residential construction industry.

"With housing deregulation slowly being implemented, the demand for imports rising and the government investing billions of dollars into improving the housing situation in Japan, the Japanese are increasingly interested in the American way of building," said Laquatra, an associate professor of design and environmental analysis who conducts research in areas related to residential energy efficiency, indoor air quality, housing technology and housing affordability.

Laquatra gave the group lectures on project management, building codes, building permits and housing design, particularly on how builders select housing designs and the use of standard and energy-efficient designs.

Other presenters included:

• Mark Pierce, a Cornell extension associate, on estimating, design and relationships with subcontractors;
• George Gesslein, former vice president of Citizens Savings Bank, on mortgages and bond issues;
• Brooke Greenhouse, president of the Tompkins Cortland Home Building Association, on scheduling and quality and cost control;
• Sue Cosentini, a local builder, on construction site issues.

The group also toured Barden Homes in Homer, a panelized housing manufacturer, and local construction sites. Visitors included Hideyo Totani, president of HICPM; Kenji Senda, HICPM director (and translator); Tomohiro Naruse, director of HICPM and an architect; Shigeraru Sato, president of Touwa Construction; Hiromitsu Asai, director of Anjyo Construction; Asaru Fukue, president of Pascal Inc.; and Isao Suzuki, director of Kuno Housing.

Although Japan has about 1.5 million housing starts a year, about the same as the United States, most Japanese houses are still of traditional post-and-beam construction and lose value in less than 20 years, largely because the Japanese do not value living in older houses. About 700,000 homes are demolished in Japan each year. Cornell is working with the Japanese builders to help them find ways to better maintain the value and quality of houses. Housing deregulation is allowing a wider variety of building materials and methods. Light gauge steel, prefabricated homes and platform frame houses are becoming increasingly popular. The Japanese also have shown a growing interest in imported houses, which tend to cost the same as Japanese-built houses but can be airtight, soundproof and energy efficient.