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訂閱當期季刊

實構築季刊 - 自然的文化 The Culture of Nature
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在《天下無雙的建築學入門》一書中，藤森照信以誇張的書名，探討在日本原始時代中自然與文化之間的辯證關係。在鐵器還未傳入日本的繩文時代，靠著石斧等工具伐木取得木材時，堅硬的栗樹是最好的對象。這是因為石斧要靠不斷研磨才能維持鋒利，因此製作石斧最好是軟質的石頭，而軟石質的石斧砍不了較軟的木材，如杉或檜木等針葉材，持石斧敲擊只會產生凹陷，石斧反而會回彈，無法削切。但若是栗樹等木紋緊實的闊葉落葉樹，軟質石製成的石斧刃部反而容易切開木材，取得木料較不費力。然而，到了使用鐵器的彌生文化，因為鐵器容易削切軟質木材，硬質的栗木遂被邊緣化，杉木、檜木等木材隨後即成為日本建屋主流。

在普遍的理解中，文化與自然是兩個相對立的領域，但從藤森照信的角度來看卻非如此。他認為文化與自然的關係是相互嵌合與交互輪疊的，比如磨製性的石斧決定了人類選擇使用栗樹而非杉木或檜木作為建材，而栗木的堅硬不易腐蝕則反過來觸發了掘立柱的產生，最後形成了豎穴式房舍風格。而彌生文化之所以相異於繩文文化，也在於使用鐵器，進而與自然之間產生不同的互動關係。不論繩文的石斧或是彌生的鐵斧，都是自然的衍生，自然製造出超越自己的方法，即為技藝。

藤森的說法，與英國著名文化研究學者 Terry Eagleton 的理解相通，在《文化的理念》中，Eagleton 論證文化原意之一為 husbandry（農事），即是透過積極主動的照料自然，從而獲得可以在某種程度離開自然的生活方式；比如因為農作生活穩定，不再飢餓所以可以寫詩或作畫，文化於是出現，而詩或畫描繪的對象又常常是自然。因此，Eagleton 才會認為，文化是與自然不斷互動才被建立起來的，而勞動就是進行互動的施為。然而，文化的累積也產生了對它自身的反噬，比如認為都市居民才有文化，務農維生卻是沒有文化的人。

本期主題為「自然的文化」，即透過以竹和木這類被認為是自然的素材，進行構築創作的作品，依此討論文化與自然之間的關係。因此我們的著眼點不是習常的以技術或是道德的觀點來討論竹木構築，而是透過文化和自然之間的辯證關係，把對文化的認識當成一種解構的力量，而非建構或是鞏固宰制我們的體制。換言之，當我們自覺承襲某種文化的時候，也正意味著我們已擁有了擺脫或改變這項文化的能力！

本期所刊登的以竹或木為主的所謂「自然系」建築，從上面的討論來看，其實一點都不自然，自然從未以此姿態存在於地球。讓這些取之於自然的材料，能以這般不自然的姿態存在，原由是人的技藝。透過這些竹或木的構築，我們終究看到的是文化，但這文化是與自然緊密鑲嵌在一起的文化，對文化自身帶著批判的角度。

林友寒的竹亭和大西麻貴＋百田有希的鐘撞堂，兩者作法恰成對立，為文化與自然的辯證提供了最好的說明。而大藏的兩件竹構築作品亦然，只是同一事務所能以同一材料繁衍出兩種態度迥然有異的作品，著實令人驚訝。黃明威的兩件作品也有對比之效，但並非對立，而是各自順勢演化：泱泱案比較著重語法的操作，其對木構築的恭謹，令人想起法國建築師 Auguste Perret 在二十世紀初的鋼筋混凝土框架建築；嘉義美術館，則是運用木構築去調和兩棟舊建物之間的不和諧，以及美術館身處混亂都市環境中的退身自處。上述作品手法皆極其高明，也是文化感極強的作品。相較之下，張懷文的月見橋和方尹萍的崙坪案，雖然看似秩序井然，卻藉著場地的鋪陳，而有著粗野不羈的品性。

本期也透過一篇集結式的採訪，欲探索木構築產業在臺灣的扎根力。這幾篇採訪非常值得一讀，它們整體地顯露了臺灣木構築產業可能的明天。

本期主題是年初在高鐵上巧遇王銘顯和方尹萍，而迸發出來的。他們和台中建築界的一些朋友，包括黃明威在內，共同發起了「木之家的種子研究會」，想為臺灣因為一昧接受現代化、少有反思而奄奄一息的木建築，注入新的活水。就如汲汲於復興臺灣竹建築的甘銘源和李綠枝夫婦（大藏聯合建築師事務所）一樣，他們的努力奔跑不懈，讓我們有嶄新的明天可以望向。

In his provocatively titled book, Unrivaled Introduction to the Study of Architecture (transliterated English title), Terunobu Fujimori explores the dialectic relationship between nature and culture in Japan's primeval eras. Before the introduction of iron tools into Japan, people in the Jomon era only had stone axes to use, and the hardness of chestnut trees made for the ideal source of wood. The reason is stone axes must rely on constant grinding to stay sharp, so they are best made from soft stones. Axes made from soft stone cannot hack open softer wood like coniferous Cunninghamia or cypress--the stone axe would only leave an indent on the wood and rebound rather than chop the wood. However, with deciduous broad-leaf species like chestnut trees, which have denser texture, it becomes easier to chop the wood open with the soft-stone blade to harvest the lumber. Fast forward to Iron-Age Yayoi Culture, softwood was easy to chop with iron tools, the hardwood of chestnut trees became marginalized, and lumber from trees like Cunninghamia or cypress became the mainstream construction material in Japan.

Culture and nature are generally regarded as two opposing spaces, but Tsujimura argues otherwise. He believes culture and nature have an interwoven and overlapping relationship. For example, the stone axe sharpened by grinding dictated human's use of chestnut wood over Cunninghamia or cypress as the building material of choice; the hardness of chestnut wood protected it from rotting and in turn gave rise to horitatebashira (a primitive wood pile foundation) and ultimately resulting in the pit-type dwelling. On the other hand, the difference between Yayoi and Jomon also arises from the use of iron tools, which then engendered different set of interactions and relationships with nature. Both the Jomon stone axe and Yayoi iron axe are derivatives of nature. A craft is born when nature produces a way to overcome itself.

Tsujimura's proposition coincides with Terry Eagleton, an eminent British literary theorist. Eagleton argues, in The Idea of Culture, that one of the original meanings of culture is husbandry, or a lifestyle that is to some degree away from nature and attained by proactively caring for nature. For instance, husbandry brings such stability to life that people may spare their time on poetry or painting once they are no longer hungry; culture emerges thus, while the subject of poetry or painting is often nature. In this vein, Eagleton reasons that culture is established through constant interaction with nature, while labor is the behavior of such interaction. However, the amassing of culture also created a self-destructive effect, as seen in the attitude that urban dwellers are cultured while farmers are not.

The theme of this edition, "The Culture of Nature", discusses the relationship between culture and nature by examining projects built from bamboo and wood, which are considered natural materials. We discuss bamboo and wooden construction therefore not from the common angles of technique or morality. Rather, cultural insight is seen as a deconstructive power instead of a constructive, reinforcing or dictating system within this dialectic relationship between culture and nature. In other words, as soon as we become aware that we are inheriting a certain culture, we also come into possession of the ability to break free from or modify this culture!

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