ABSTRACT
Technological cultures, examined in the last section, are distinct from the places examined in this section. They are, however, directly related through the very social process of building. Sociologist Simon Guy argues in this chapter that there is a 'pragmatic' quality to Japanese urbanism. As Westerners who imagine that we can 'read' the meaning of our own architecture visually, by deeply contemplating its form, order, proportion, and materials, it is hardly surprising that we would presume to apprehend meaning in the architectures of other cultures in the same way. As did Frank Lloyd Wright a century ago, we continue to gaze upon ancient Japanese gardens and pagodas in search of oriental Harmony and Nature. In other words, we tend to interpret the world through the frames we bring with us. Sustainability, or harmony with nature, is less likely to be visually manifested in what they build than it is in our material habits, how they build our places.
