Villa - villa

A second home built in the suburbs of a city or in the countryside to escape the summer or winter heat. There is no set form, but its distinctive features can be seen in the relationship between the architecture and nature. In ancient Rome, the villa built by Emperor Hadrian in Tivoli on the outskirts of Rome is known as a large example.

In Japan, villas were once reserved for only a privileged few, such as the Fujiwara clan's Uji villa (Byodo-in Temple), the Ashikaga clan's Kitayama Palace (Kinkakuji), the Toyotomi clan's Jurakudai, and the Hachijonomiya family's Katsura Imperial Villa. Since the Meiji period, with the development of transportation such as railroads and automobiles, villa areas have opened up all over the country, but many of them are extremely luxurious and could only be used by a very limited number of people. However, today, with the expansion of facilities such as jointly managed weekend homes, rental villas, resort condominiums, and national vacation villages, villas have become more widely used as a second home to one's permanent residence, and villas are gradually becoming more popular. The purposes of use are also diversifying, from summer to winter to weekend use, creative activities, and leisure.

When building a vacation home, it is important to take into consideration the local climate, for example, damage from saltwater and wind on the coast, and damage from snow in areas with heavy snowfall. The site should be as large as possible, as you want to take advantage of the surrounding nature. You should also investigate city facilities such as electricity, water, sewage, gas, and telephone, as well as the relationship with transportation and surrounding roads, and the condition of the adjacent and surrounding land.

Living activities differ from those in ordinary homes in the following ways: (1) There is no commute to work or school. (2) The whole family spends a lot of time together. (3) There are many outdoor activities. (4) There are many activities centered on hobbies and play. (5) There is relatively little housework, and family members and residents often help out. (6) There are few unexpected visitors.

Taking these points into consideration, you will need to think carefully about how you will arrange your room.

[Jin Nakamura]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

避暑・避寒などの目的で、都市の郊外や田舎(いなか)に建てる別宅。定形はないが、建築と自然の関係のうちに、その特色がみられる。古代ローマにおいて、ハドリアヌス帝がローマ郊外のチボリに建てた別荘は、広大な例として知られている。

　日本においても、別荘は、藤原氏の宇治の別邸（平等院）、足利(あしかが)氏の北山殿（金閣）、豊臣(とよとみ)氏の聚楽第(じゅらくだい)、八条宮(はちじょうのみや)家の桂(かつら)離宮と、古くは一部の特権階級だけのものであった。明治以降、鉄道、自動車などの交通機関の発達とともに、全国各地に別荘地が開かれたが、贅(ぜい)を尽くしたものが多く、ごく限られた人々にしか利用できなかった。しかし、今日では、共同管理の週末住宅、貸別荘、リゾートマンション、国民休暇村など施設の充実とともに、常住する住居以外の第二の住宅としての位置づけが広まり、別荘はしだいに大衆的なものになりつつある。使用目的も、避暑・避寒ばかりでなく、週末用、創作活動用、レジャー用など多様化している。

　別荘を建てる場合、その土地の気候、たとえば海岸であれば潮害・風害、積雪の多い地方では雪害などを十分考慮することがたいせつである。敷地は、周囲の自然を取り入れたいので、できるだけ広い面積とするのが望ましい。また、電気、上下水道、ガス、電話などの都市施設のほか、交通機関および周辺道路との関係や、隣接または周囲の土地の状態なども調べるべきである。

　一般住宅の生活行為とは次のような点で異なる。〔1〕通勤・通学などがない。〔2〕家族全員が行動をともにする時間が多い。〔3〕屋外での活動が多い。〔4〕趣味や遊びを主にした活動が多い。〔5〕家事労働が比較的少なく、家族や利用者が手伝うことが多い。〔6〕突然の来客が少ない。

　これらの点を考慮したうえで、部屋の構成を決めるなどのくふうが求められる。

［中村　仁］

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