Hasta La Ideas

Shigeru Ban Architects have designed temporary homes for Japanese disaster victims inside a chequerboard of stacked shipping containers.

Above and below: prototype unit

Once the Multi-storey Temporary Housing is constructed it will provide 188 homes in Onagawa for those left homeless by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

The containers can be placed on unlevel terrain or narrow sites and should be able to withstand future earthquakes.

Containers can be stacked up to three storeys high, with open spaces between each apartment.

The architects, who have constructed one prototype apartment, suggest that temporary residents may choose to stay in the containers permanently.

Since the disaster in Japan, Dezeen has published a few projects by designers to raise money for victims – see all the stories here.

Another recent story on Dezeen features shipping containers that provide a sea-facing observation deck – click here for more stories about container architecture.

Images are from Shigeru Ban Architects

Here’s some more information is proved by the architects:

Multistorey Container Temporary Housing

Temporary housing are starting to be deployed disaster areas.

However, the number of the amount of housing required is insufficient. The main reason is that most of the damaged coast areas are not on level terrain.

Usually, temporary housing is suitable for flatlands, and providing the required number of units is difficult.

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Our project to Onagawa, Miyagi prefecture is to use existing shipping containers (20 feet) and stack them in a checkerboard pattern up to three stories.

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The Characteristics of multistory temporary housing:

» shorten the construction period by usage of existing containers
» possible to build up tp 3 stories and to be build in narrow sites or slope lands
» placing containers in a checkerboard pattern and create a open living space in between
» excellent seismic performance
» can be used as a permanent apartment

See also:

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Housing for New Orleans	Sand-bag houses by MMA Architects 3	Pallet House by I-Beam

Overlapping arches divide classrooms in this temporary school in Tokyo by Japanese architects Atelier SNS.

The International School of the Sacred Heart provides a kindergarten on the ground floor and a separate junior school above.

Classrooms, cloakrooms and the staff room are accessed from a central hall on each floor and there are no corridors inside the building.

The curved walls integrate bookshelves, white-boards and furniture for each of the nine classrooms.

The temporary building will be used until a permanent school is constructed in ten years time.

More stories about education on Dezeen »

Photography is by Hiroshi Ueda and Seiichi Oosawa.

The following information is from Atelier SNS:

International School of the Sacred Heart Temporary Building

∞ shaped walls to symbolise children’s infinite potential that make up the building

The Kindergarten and Junior School (1st & 2nd grade) temporary building project has been built on a very limited school field. This field had to be used as part of the temporary building and school playground. We were working with limited space.

We had to build a temporary building that is compact and efficient therefore we planned a circular design. As a result, we planned a cluster from where we have a center hall with 7 branches all leading to each individual open classroom.

The walls are designed to be reusable shelves. The shelves are mounted with desks, chairs and storage. This can be transferred to the new completed building in the future.

Classrooms are divided by ∞ shaped walls to symbolise children’s infinite potential.

The entangled arches represent children all over the world holding hands. The meaning of having no walls where the arches cross is to let children know that the world is without borders.

The ∞ shaped walls are used as bookshelves. The walls are well used and the storage is made on the walls which are closed on one side.

There are no hallways and students access to classrooms from the center. Each classroom is color coordinated, so students easily find their classrooms.

The round-shaped hanging ceiling is the air conditioning system covered by wooden louvers.

The entrance to the school curves to welcome the children with open arms.

The approach to the Kindergarten and Junior school is separated by an approach ramp, upper (JS) and the lower level staircase (Kindergarten).

The Kindergarten may also be entered through the ground level.

The extended cantilever flat roof protects the building from the sunlight and rain. Just like the Japanese ‘Engawa’, the mid-term area helps with conserving energy and running cost.

Since this will be used as a temporary building I have designed many parts of the class room to be detached and reusable.The floor consists of one room which is divided by removable walls to separate each class room. The walls are also reusable because they are used as back shelves and storage.

The entangled arches looks as though you are going through a though you are going through a tunnel.

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At one end of the tunnel, you reach the mirror wall where you can constantly reflect on. An area of reflection.

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At the other end of the tunnel, you see the future light / sunlight which guides you into the bright future.

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The desk and chairs are mounted into the wall. This enables the children to use any area along the wall to do their work.

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Location: Shibuya Ward, Tokyo
Client: International School of the Sacred Heart
Years: 2010
Plot area: 57.212.46 m2
Height: 7.53 m
Floors: 2 above ground
Covered area: 518.28 m2
Total floor area: 759.58m2

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Architects: Tsuneyuki Okamoto – AteleirSNS
Structures: Span Sekkei
Facilities: SP Sekkei
Contractors: Nakano Corporation

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See also:

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Kindergarten Terenten by Feld72	Kindergarten Kekec by Arhitektura Jure Kotnik	Tellus Nursery School by Tham & Videgård Arkitekter

You can walk up one curved staircase and down another in this family home in Kitakami by Japanese architect Yukiko Nadamoto.

Both stairways ascend from the double-height living area, leading to first-floor bedrooms that are linked by a stepped bridge.

The wood-framed home is rectangular in plan but the living area resembles a jigsaw-puzzle piece thanks to the curved internal walls.

More Japanese houses on Dezeen »

Photography is by Seiya Miyamoto.

Here are some more details from the architects:

House in Kitakami

This house, located in a quiet residential neighbourhood in Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture, was built for a family of four.

The client wanted a home that consisted of “a single, unified space that would accommodate the separate, individual activities and pursuits of each family member, rather than an open, continuous space that integrates the living room, dining room, kitchen and terrace into a single room.”

These requests played a major role in our design process.

Architects: Nadamoto Yukiko Architects
Location: Kitakami, Iwate, Japan

Project architect: Yukiko Nadamoto
Structural engineer: Umezawa Structural Engineers

Structure: Wooden Structure

Project Year: 2010 – 2011
Floor area: 141sqm

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See also:

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Usuki House by Tonoma	Cube House by Shinichi Ogawa	House in Hieidaira by Tato Architects

Japanese firm Kazunori Fujimoto Architect & Associates have completed a concrete house in Fukuoka that resembles a half-submerged submarine.

House in Ropponmatsu has an L-shaped profile, with the first and second storeys set back so as not to overshadow neighbouring properties.

Outward-facing windows were rejected on the ground floor of the bunker-like house in favour of glazed walls that overlook two enclosed courtyards.

Instead, the only outwardly visible windows are placed at the top of the three-storey turret, which resembles a conning tower.

More Japanese Houses on Dezeen »

More by Kazunori Fujimoto Architect & Associates on Dezeen »

Photography is by Kazunori Fujimoto.

Here are some more details from the architect:

House in Ropponmatsu

This house is located in the city area near by the center of Fukuoka city. The shape of the site is long and narrow, 6m x 18m.

We designed this house not to make the shade on the north house next door, as a result, the house with three floors shaped like ”L”.

In contrast to closed outside like a silent sculptural volume, the interior is designed well-lighted and well-opened.

At the ground floor level, we can look whole the long distance of the site through from entrance court to bedroom.

Each room is filled with light and breeze from the two courts.

The storage and bathroom are placed in the second floor, and another bedroom is in the third floor.

At third floor level, keeping a distance from the road, we can get wide range of view, from near the garden tree in the next door, to the faraway mountains.

The simple form, found by the condition of the site, has been transformed into an affluent space for living.

Location: Fukuoka, Japan
Main use: house

Site area: 121m2
Building area: 71.99m2
Total floor area: 99.16m2
Design term: 2010
Construction term: 2011

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See also:

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Safe House by Robert Konieczny	Himeji Observatory House by KINO architects	Hiedaira House by Thomas Daniell Studio

La photographe Misty Keasler a voulu illustrer avec cette série l’univers unique des love hotels au Japon. Avec des décors résolument à connotation sexuelle, ses clichés démontrent toutes les fantaisies et les fantasmes de ces lieux. Plus d’images dans la suite.

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• Transitions Series

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