Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

Japanese firm Naruse Inokuma Architects has designed a shared occupancy house in Nagoya with communal areas for eating, cooking and relaxing that encourage the residents to interact in different ways (+ slideshow).

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

Naruse Inokuma Architects says the building was designed in response to the increasing demand in Japan for houses where unrelated individuals share kitchens, living spaces and bathrooms.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

Whereas most of these homes are adapted from existing properties, the architects based this new build on the principles of communal living and the need “for complete strangers to naturally continue to share spaces with one another.”

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

Bedrooms with identical dimensions are arranged across the building’s three levels, with the voids between them housing an open plan living, dining and kitchen area and a rug space on the first floor.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

“The shared and individual spaces were studied simultaneously and, by laying out individual rooms in a three-dimensional fashion, multiple areas, each with a different sense of comfort, were established in the remaining shared space,” the architects explain.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

A dining table near the entrance provides seating for large groups, while the kitchen counter, sitting room and rug space offer alternatives for smaller gatherings.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

The 13 bedrooms each have a floor area of 7.2 square metres and the total floor space for each resident equates to 23 square metres, which the architects believe compares favourably to the world’s many one-room apartments.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

Naruse Inokuma Architects previously renovated an apartment in Tokyo with raw plywood and smeared cement details and created an installation for Tokyo Designers Week featuring tree-shaped display furniture – see more projects by Naruse Inokuma Architects.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

We recently published a white house in Kanazawa, Japan, punctuated by interconnecting voids and another in Osaka with a garden enclosed between the living areas and a high surrounding wall – see more projects in Japan.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

Photography is by Masao Nishikawa.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

The architects sent us this project description:


Share house LT Josai

This is a plan for a newly-built “share house,”* a singular model of housing, even within the architectural industry. The “share house” is an increasingly popular style of living in Japan, somewhat close to a large house, where the water systems and living room are shared by the residents.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

What makes it different from a large house, however, is that the residents are not family and are, instead, unrelated strangers. So a special technique in both its management and its space becomes necessary for complete strangers to naturally continue to share spaces with one another.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

In this design, focus was given to the fact that it was a newly constructed building, and the share house spaces were created through a reconsideration of the building’s entire composition.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

The shared and individual spaces were studied simultaneously and, by laying out individual rooms in a three-dimensional fashion, multiple areas, each with a different sense of comfort, were established in the remaining shared space.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

While the entrance hall with its atrium and dining table space are perfect for gatherings of multiple people, the corner of the living room and spaces by the window are great for spending time alone.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

The kitchen counter is suitable for communication between a relatively small number of people. The rug space on the 1st floor is the most relaxed of all the spaces.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

Through the creation of such spaces, the residents are able to use shared spaces more casually, as extensions of their individual rooms.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects

At the same time, the individual rooms, which seem to have the same character in plan, are all different due to their relationships to the shared space, defined by characteristics like their distance and route from the living room.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects
Ground floor – click for larger image

While this share house has such rich shared spaces and spacious 7.2 square sized individual rooms, its total floor area divided by the number of residents amounts to a mere 23 square meters per person.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects
First floor – click for larger image

This share house is thus so efficient and rich that the countless number of one-room apartments in the world seem to make less sense in comparison.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects
Second floor – click for larger image

* Share House = a model of a residence in which multiple unrelated people live and share a kitchen, bathroom and living room. In Japan, demands for share houses are increasing, mainly for singles in their 20’s and 30’s. Most of these share houses are provided by renovating single-family homes or dormitories.

Share House LT Josai by Naruse Inokuma Architects
Section – click for larger image

 

The post Share House LT Josai by
Naruse Inokuma Architects
appeared first on Dezeen.

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki of ARCO Architects

This clinic by architect Kimitaka Aoki in the Ibaraki prefecture of Japan is designed to look like a cluster of smaller buildings (+slideshow).

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

Externally, Y-Clinic appears as four conjoined buildings creating a facade of protrusions and recesses with seemingly random windows and an uneven pitched roof.

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

These exterior irregularities are in fact the result of architect Kimitaka Aoki’s sun trajectory studies and response to the surrounding scenery. These calculations result in an interior flooded with daylight and expansive views of paddy fields, cherry blossom and a river.

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

White walls and exposed wooden rafters that run in different directions depending on which roof section they support emphasise the varying internal volumes.

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

Aoki told Dezeen, “it’s important to directly express the shape and angle of each roof by leaving the rafters exposed”.

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

Aoki is part of Japanese studio ARCO Architects.

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

Other clinics we’ve featured include Hackney studio Gort Scott’s Cat Clinic, a vetinary practice with a subtly feline facade, and a Japanese hair treatment clinic by KORI architecture office and Arimoto Yushiro.

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

Photography is by Ippei Shinzawa.

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

Here’s some more information from the architect:


This clinic is located in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki prefecture, Japan. The place next to rice paddy and riverbed is surrounded by nature. There are rice paddy, riverbed, cherry blossom trees, and beautiful sky.

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

Client (female doctor) demanded no rigidly formal clinic. On the other hand she really demanded reasonable and efficient circulation of doctor, staff and patient.

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

We designed the clinic by some clues (scenery, seasonal winds, sun trajectory and neighboring buildings) . We found out concavo-convex shape plan with keeping reasonable circulations. And, we suggested characteristic forms which is four buildings with each different roof which is leaded to relationships between inside and outside environment. The format of this architecture is unique to particular places. Whole building form is generated there by some elements. All rooms are rich in light due to offered sunlight by concavo-convex shape plan and different roofs. We can feel inside-space like passing through under some mountains in clinic. This building could be seemed such as villages from people walking along riverbed.

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

It’s important to for us to consider environmental interrelationship. We strongly desire that the clinic is loved by neighborhood inhabitant and as new symbol in this local area. Although architecture actually has fate as huge artifact, we have to design new architecture which could be integrated environment. Its “scenery” may be called as “new nature (semi-nature)” through their times and affection. It could be new shape of future clinic.

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

Architects: kimitaka aoki / ARCO architects

Location: tsuchiura , ibaraki , Japan

Architect In Charge : kimitaka aoki

Structural Engineer : yasuhiro kaneda

Area: 198.9 sqm

Year: 2013.03

Photographs: Ippei Shinzawa

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

Above: site plan

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

Above: floor plan

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

Above: long section

Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki

Above: short section

The post Y Clinic by Kimitaka Aoki
of ARCO Architects
appeared first on Dezeen.

Minami-Hayama duo by Nakae Architects and Ohno Japan

Minami-Hayama duo by Nakae Architects

This holiday home in Kanagawa, Japan, by Japanese studios Nakae Architects and Ohno Japan comprises two separate blocks fanning outwards towards Tokyo Bay.

Minami-Hayama duo by Nakae Architects

Named Minami-Hayama duo, the two buildings are composed of thirteen vertical walls spreading over the triangular site with glass infills between them.

Minami-Hayama duo by Nakae Architects

Internally the floors are arranged around split levels connected by spiral staircases.

Minami-Hayama duo by Nakae Architects

Located on a steep hill, the upper floors have views towards Mount Fuji.

Minami-Hayama duo by Nakae Architects

Photography is by Hiroyasu Sakaguchi.

Minami-Hayama duo by Nakae Architects

More Japanese houses on Dezeen »

The following information is from the architects:


Minami-Hayama duo

Walking up the steep slope that branches off from the seaside highway, you experience a spectacular sequence of surrounding scenery. The landscape has intricate layers of hills and valleys, with trees and houses scattered along the undulating surfaces. And as you go up, a stunning panorama of the Bay of Sagami gradually unfolds in front of you, with a fine view of Mt. Fuji and the Izu Peninsula in distance.

Minami-Hayama duo by Nakae Architects

We designed a weekend house, which consists of two separate blocks, located near the top of the landscape. The site is an uneven fan-shaped land situated between two roads at the Y-shaped intersection. The site had to be divided in two for each blocks. The divided sites varied in size, shape and orientation, but our intention was to provide the same volumes, equal living condition, and the best views for the both of them.

Minami-Hayama duo by Nakae Architects

The two blocks both consist of thirteen 10-meter-high walls with various widths. Each walls stand separately, and glass is inserted in between. Walls are set irregularly, so you will experience a dramatic sequence of different framings of the surrounding view as you move among them. The second floor, which is divided by stairs in the middle, has split-levels, so you can enjoy views at different eye levels.

Minami-Hayama duo by Nakae Architects

As you move along this ever-changing scenery framed by irregular walls, you begin to feel that the walls themselves become parts of the surrounding view. Our intention is to bring the spectacle of the surrounding scenery into the space. The walls open to the sea and the mountains, and are closed against the adjacent block and the neighbor. However our intention was to in create a dramatic and intricate space, which is not just about “open and close” relationship.

Minami-Hayama duo by Nakae Architects

In this project big challenge was to design two separate blocks in a rather small fan-shaped site divided in two sections. However by boldly opening up the space towards the surrounding scenery, you feel as if Mt. Fuji has become a part of your site. We successfully created a dramatic openness that one cannot experience in everyday life in the city.

Minami-Hayama duo by Nakae Architects

Location: Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
Principal use: 2 weekend houses
Architects: Yuji Nakae / Nakae Architects, Hirofumi Ohno / Ohno Japan

Minami-Hayama duo by Nakae Architects

Site Area: A-98.88m2, B-107.29m2
Building Area: A-49.15m2, B-49.77m2
Total Floor Area: A-101.18m2, B-101.67m2
Structure: Reinforced Concrete, 3 stories

Minami-Hayama duo by Nakae Architects


See also:

.

Edge by
Apollo Architects & Associates
N House
by TOFU
House by FORM/
Kouichi Kimura Architects

GR230 by Code

GR230 by Code

This motorway service station along Route 230 in northern Japan, by architects Code, has a black, rectangular form that snakes up from the ground towards a nearby mountain.

GR230 by Code

The shape of the building was influenced by the curves of the landscape, but internally it has a simple single-storey arrangement.

GR230 by Code

A number of shops and food outlets are contained within, serving drivers travelling between the towns of Kutchan and Rusutsu.

GR230 by Code

More Japanese architecture on Dezeen »

GR230 by Code

Here are some more details about the project from the architect:


GR230
Concept Text

GR230 is a highway service centre located in the town of Kimobetsu, Hokkaido. Situated along Route 230 at the crossroads leading towards Kutchan and Rusutsu, the facility is a vital hub that connects various towns and areas in the Shiribeshi sub prefecture, including popular tourist spots, museums, workplaces, homes and a diverse range of other everyday destinations.

GR230 by Code

GR230’s primary function is to provide services centring on food from the local area. It features a simple, flat layout that consists of shops and kiosks, rest areas, and food and beverage outlets.

GR230 by Code

This project began in 2005 as part of a plan to widen Route 230, a national highway that runs right through the centre of Kimobetsu. The town offered us the use of a site for our proposed building, with the car park, toilets and tourist office managed by the local municipal government. Construction and business operations were undertaken by private corporations.

GR230 by Code

A town planning committee was launched in Kimobetsu at the same time that the project was getting started, which we joined from the outset. One of the issues involved in planning this highway service centre was how to project its presence in relation to the passing traffic. We made careful, repeated studies of building forms that would be appropriate to the location as well as how the centre would serve as a local landmark, finally deciding that the architecture itself ought to serve as a kind of signboard.

GR230 by Code

Although the completed form of the building was designed to incorporate multiple meanings within it, the motif on which the shape of the facility was based is in fact concealed within the landscape of ravines and gorges, with Mount Shiribetsu to the south and Mount Yotei to the west.

GR230 by Code

Click above for larger image

While the magnificent scenery that surrounds the building may bring to mind a lush, green summer season, this part of Hokkaido actually sees long winters that last for almost half the year. The black band made up of various trees whose leaves have fallen is a bare expression of the vast land that is obscured during the warmer months. Undulations in the structure, combined with colour gradations in the black band and the contrast with the white snow-covered fields in the distance, create an abstract visual effect.

When the architectural form of the building first emerged over the course of our studies, we felt as if a vision of the pristine winter landscapes of northern Japan had surfaced from the depths of our memory.

With GR230, we have created a beautiful piece of architecture that commands a dignified presence during the foliage-rich summer months, and a quieter one that seemingly dissolves into the surrounding landscape during the long, reclusive winters.

Project credits/data
Architects: Naoji maekawa
Total floor space: 371.38sq m
Structure: Wooden flat building


See also:

.

Lolita by Langarita-Navarro
Arquitectos
Viamala Raststätte Thusis
by Iseppi/Kurath
Little Chef by
Ab Rogers Design

AMA House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

Every room of this house in Japan by local architects Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates is contained in a separate block, connected by sliding doors.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

This allows the rooms of Small House to each have unique proportions suited to their interior functions, as well as different material finishes.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

The clustered arrangement of blocks creates two defined courtyards that form a garden and a parking area.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

More Japanese houses on Dezeen »

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

Photography is by Toshiyuki Yano.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

Here are some more details from the architects:


Small House

As the site is surrounded by rice fields, we planned “a small house” that the idyllic atmosphere and landscape.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

The entire volume of the house was first divided into individual rooms, their each concept were finally linked together taking account of factors such as connection of garden and room, entrance of light, ventilation, flow line of daily activities, etc.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

Also, to meet with the demand for a guest parking lot and family garden, we laid out the rooms across the site to secure two exterior spaces.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

Multiple Viewpoint

Each room has different volume, finish, and openings.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

These differences were made to enhance deeper experience with elements by presenting more than one viewpoint on each element; for example, when the light enters from wide opening, it gives you different impression from the thin ray of light in a dark place.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

These elements can be trees in the garden, wind, internal openness, nuance of shadows, and communications between family members.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

Connected Air

When opening the door, these rooms become “One single room with connections”.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

Although, unlike a general single room, it can not get a view of whole room, one room is visually connected with some and also connected with others beyond by air.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

Communication is prompted among the viewable rooms by the strong connection of visual element, and with the rooms out of sight by the senses other than visual sense.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

Subsequently, the light and wind streaming into a room, as well as the act and the sign of the family there are transmitted to the adjacent rooms, and are extended beyond.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

Supplementary Architecture

The rooms expanded in the site functions as a house without being isolated functionally and spatially.  The important thing is that the rooms are connected.  The “connection” is formed by the persons and nature, and is not limited within the structure and the diagram of architecture.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

I think that the architecture is something that acts as a supplement of the “connected air “.

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

Project detail informations

Project data

Location: Aichi, Japan
Site Area: 464.0m2
Built Area: 85.92m2
Total Floor Area: 85.92m2
Type of Construction: Wooden
Exterior Materials: Metal finish
Interior Materials: Lauan board 、paint finish
Year of completion: April, 2011
Design team: Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates
Structure company  /  g2plan
Construction company / Sunshow industries ltd

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

Click above for larger image

Small House by Katsutoshi Sasaki + Associates

Click above for larger image


See also:

.

Ogaki House
by Katsutoshi Sasaki
Tsumuji+Hako
by UID Architects
House in Buzen
by Suppose Design Office

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

The roof of this house in Hashimoto, Japan, by designers Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates folds around to become an exterior canopy with triangular reveals.

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

Behind the shade of the orange canopy, the glazed facade of House of Wakayama has sliding doors that open to expose the interior spaces to the elements.

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

On the first floor an open plan room projects out across the building entrance to meet the canopy.

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

More Japanese houses on Dezeen »

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

More residential architecture on Dezeen »

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

The following project details are from the architect, as well as some text in Japanese:


Family House

location: wakayama
site area: 175.19 sqm
total area: 93.34 sqm

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

design development: 2009.4-2010.8
construction: 2010.8-2010.12

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

structure: wooden
structure engineer: HN

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

max. height: 6.04m
stories: 2

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

和歌山県橋本市の閑静な住宅地に建つ、夫婦とその子供達の専用住宅の計画である。

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

廻りには低層の住宅が立ち並び穏やかな風景が広がり、大きな空がよりいっそういっそう大きく感じられ、比較的身近に自然を感じられる敷地であった。

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

自然を出来るだけ生活空間へ取り込む事が設計の与条件として感じ取る事が出来た。

『内部と外部の境界線をあいまいとする。』

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

外の要素と内の要素を近ずける為に、建物で大きな軒下の日陰を作り、生活空間として最小限のエリアを建具で囲う事により

建具の開閉により内部と外部の境界線をあいまいにする事を考えた。

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

また、内部と外部の境界線をよりいっそう無くすよう、1階への柱をもうけないように、屋根から2階の床を細いスチールの柱により

吊り上げている。その柱は2階の空間へリズムを与える役割として存在している。

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

外壁においては、大きな風景として存在している、空の色と補色関係のオレンジ色とした。

補色の色関係による、相乗効果を狙ったものである。

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates

House of Wakayama by Yoshio Oono Architect & Associates


See also:

.

House by
Hidehiro Fukuda Architects
Ogaki House
by Katsutoshi Sasaki
House in Fukawa
by Suppose Design Office

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

This colourful series of public toilets recently completed by Japanese architects Future Studios in Hiroshima have been designed to resemble origami cranes.

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

The 17 Hiroshima Park Restrooms come in three different shapes, but each one has a unique colour.

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

The restrooms are constructed entirely from concrete, which is punctured to create very small circular windows.

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

The paint used to colour each restroom can be wiped clean to allow easy maintenance.

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

More Japanese architecture on Dezeen »
More public toilets on Dezeen »

The following is from the architect:


Hiroshima Park Restrooms – Absolute Arrows

Hiroshima City Planning chose the design from a competition to be the standard. It is the unique public project that approximately 5 restrooms are mass-produced in parks per year as regular design of the city

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

First of all, I considered that what should embed in “city”. I was aware of designing “multitude” strongly, which is not “a ” restroom in a park. And they should be given a meaning as a whole of the infrastructure in the city.

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

I aim to make an absolute axis in the city by being embedded the direction in infrastructure building in the city. The mass-produced urban facilities have a triangular roof pointing north.

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

By building in same direction, each restrooms have same space by sunshine. The same space of restroom is omnipresence all over Hiroshima.

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

I designed 3 variations of plans in this project. I provide with 2 entrances of east and west side, so that the plan is able to turn the other way around as it functions whichever entrance.

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

Structure of the restroom is box frame type reinforced concrete construction. The roof is also made by concrete. Concrete is poured by the ruler of stainless steel in the edge of the acute angle part of the roof.

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

The roof finishes by a fluoric resin topcoat after FRP waterproofing. Therefore it is possible to put the different color every roof of the restrooms. Each location has a different color roof that matches the playground.

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

I incline the roof, the north side is high, the south side is low, to be able to look at the roof facing north from eye-level. A slit-shaped top light goes to the south and north in the center of the roof and creates lines toward north inside and outside of space.

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

Acrylic lighting windows and round ventilation holes in eastern and western wall, and acrylic lighting windows in southern wall, are inlayed.

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

They function that controlling the environment of the internal space. For the finish of the outer wall, I adopted the photocatalytic coating paints that the dirt is easy to come off.

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

17 restrooms in 17 parks are completed in May in 2011. It is built around five places sequentially every year. The public restrooms with absolute arrows are being embedded infinitely in all over Hiroshima-city.

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

Project data
Name of the project : Hiroshima Park Restrooms –Absolute Arrows-
architect: Bunzo Ogawa
Location : Hiroshima, Japan
Use: Public Restroom
Client: Hiroshima-city
Building area : A type 15.56sqm, B type 11.88sqm, C type 7.62sqm
Gross area: A type 13.09sqm, B type 10.10sqm, C type 5.30sqm
Building coverage ratio / 2%
Building scale / 1 story
Structure system / RC
Period of design / 2008.9-2009.2
Period of construction / 2009.4-

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

Click above for larger image

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

Click above for larger image

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

Click above for larger image

Hiroshima Park Restrooms by Future Studios

Click above for larger image


See also:

.

Public toilets
by Plastik Architects
Royal Flush
by Chris Briffa Architects
Lavatories by
Shuichiro Yoshida Architects

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

This small art gallery in Japan by Tokyo architects Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP has a softly curved exterior shape, sliced at one end to create a wide entranceway.

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

The asphalt-clad exterior of Roku Museum matches the colour of surrounding trees and the curved chimneys are intended to mirror their branches.

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

On the interior the curved walls showcase paintings collected by the owner’s late father.

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

A cafe is situated at the far end of the building, with intentionally low ceilings that force visitors to sit down.

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

More stories about galleries on Dezeen »
More Japanese architecture on Dezeen »

Here are some more details from the architects:


Roku Museum Concept:

“Bringing Nature, Buildings and People Closer Together”

There is a small private art museum in the city of Oyama in Tochigi prefecture. The owner wanted to build a room to showcase paintings that were collected by his late father, Roku Tsukada, and a cafe where people can drop in anytime that has the ambiance of a salon. There is a lack of greenery in the area, and the site is on a road with a lot of traffic.

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

Therefore, we decided to plant a grove of trees to create a tranquil environment in the city that was suitable for the appreciation of paintings. We planted three rows of six trees each in a pattern that is close to being grid shaped so as to allow sunlight to equally reach each tree, and ensure the area above the site will be fully covered in the future.

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

In much the same manner as trees in the garden combined with the architecture of traditional private homes in Japan in the past to create a pleasant environment inside the home, evergreen trees were planted on the north side of the site to block the cold north wind in the winter, and deciduous trees were planted on the south side to block out the sunshine in the summer and let the sun shine through in the winter. Different types of trees were used depending upon the location on the site, and the building was designed to match the layout of the trees and intermingle with them.

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

The gallery room is inserted between two rows of trees at the rear portion of the site, and rather than partition the cafe with a door, it is offset and has a higher floor to provide a subtle distinction between the two. Three dimensional measurements of the lower branches on the trees that were to be planted were made and computer processed to allow the shape of the building to be fine tuned so that it would not interfere with the tree branches, trunks or roots, and enable swaying of the branches in strong winds to be taken into consideration.

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

Buildings can be considered the overlapping of layers between the inside and the outside, but for this building, the trees consist of a thick membrane that represent another layer on top of the inner wall, insulation, water-proofing material and outer wall. The trees control the sunshine and wind according to the season, control moisture and cooling with the transpiration effect and absorb carbon dioxide and polluting gases. In addition, this layer emits oxygen and fragrances called phytoncides, and softly envelop the building and the people inside.

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

A desire to directly reflect the shapes of the trees inside resulted in soft curves in the ceiling and walls. Visitors feel the presence of the trees while inside the museum, and it is an entirely different space from a white cube that eliminates all elements other than the paintings.

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

In particular, the ceiling in the entrance is low with an average height of 1.7 meters due to the fact that branches and leaves are close to the roof in this area. This makes it necessary for people to bend over and discard their social status and pretense and return to their real self. This provides them with a unique opportunity to appreciate the paintings in a different manner. The ceiling in a portion of the coffee shop is so low that you cannot stand. A bench zone was created in this area where visitors are surrounded by the walls and ceiling, and it provides an experience that is similar to sitting down against a tree and taking a rest. In addition, there are window sills that can also be used as a bench or desk, or as a space to put books.

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

Click above for larger image

This building uses the techniques that we have continuously since the “House SH” to foster a close relationship between people and buildings. Our hope is to create a special type of communication between nature, people and the building by tailoring the shape of the building to the trees surrounding the structure, and using a design that makes people feel at ease and want to snuggle up against the building.

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

Click above for larger image

“Building Form Snuggles Up Against Trees”

Wood columns and beams were used since they can be easily worked to match the complicated shapes of the walls and ceiling, and structural plywood was applied to create a monocoque structure. FG board (strengthened with inorganic fibers) was used on the inside to follow the many curves, and it was finished with an elastic coating material.

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

Click above for larger image

Specially ordered asphalt shingles that likewise follow the curves and still have a good appearance when there are leaves on them were applied to the outside. The trees were planted according to the plan formulated when the building was designed after all other work was completed. The sun that filters through the trees creates a phenomenal façade that changes from one moment to the next.

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

Click above for larger image

Project name: Roku-mueum
Credit: Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP
Site area: 705.13m2
Building area: 106.91m2
Total floor area: 99.95m2
Structure: Wooden structure
Height of the building: 6.50m
Number of stories: 1
Design period: December 2009
Construction period: October 2010
Materials used for interior and exterior
:
Outer wall, roof: Asphalt single
Interior floor: Mortar finish with a steel trowel, and then resin flooring 
paint  /clear
Inside wall and ceiling: Elastic plastered wall materials finish with a 
trowel

Roku Museum by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP

Click above for larger image


See also:

.

Gallery Orsta by Claesson Koivisto RuneGaleria Adriana Varejão by Rodrigo Cerviño LopezTanada Piece Gallery
by Geneto

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

This house in Tokyo by Japanese practice Torafu Architects creates built-in furniture through the overlapping of interior spaces.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

House in Ookayama is constructed on a narrow plot and has an entrance halfway along the elevation to maximise the size of the rooms, which are all accessed via a central staircase.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

A storage space is inserted between the first and second floors and the floor of the living room also extends into the bedroom as a desk.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

Photographs are by Daici Ano.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

More by Torafu Architects on Dezeen »

More Japanese Houses on Dezeen »

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

The following is from the architect:


House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects:

A Collection of Large Furniture
Two generations live in this three-storied wooden house located in a Tokyo residential area.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

The site corresponds to a 4.7 m wide × 16.5 m long fringe of the land where the owner’s parents lived.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

Furthermore, the site is enclosed by buildings on three sides while its northern side abuts directly on the street.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

The layout was designed to alleviate the impression of narrowness of the frontage in as much as possible and make the best use of the site’s conditions within the maximum volume allowed by setback restrictions.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

To minimize pressure from the corridor on the frontage path we devised a basic plan that placed the entrance and stairs at the center while the bedroom and public areas are divided on a north-south axis.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

Taking into account the fact that the occupants had many belongings, we incorporated a storage space shaped like a box between the 1st and 2nd floors.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

Above the bedroom on the 2nd floor is a child’s room that resembles a huge table.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

Each part is connected by stairs bearing a different design and the space between some of the steps can be used for storage as well.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

The floor of the living room on the 2nd floor extends into the bedroom where it serves as a desk.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

The toilet in the intermediary storage space protrudes into the 2nd floor to act as a light-well and a table.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

The bay window in the wall connecting to the ceiling can also become a bench, giving a sense of loftiness to the whole space. Boards placed between the four sturdy walls passing through the 1st to 3rd floor become shelves and desks that make for a big storage wall by using the structure of the house.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

This random-looking composition resembles multifunctional stacking,thus can be seen as one large piece of furniture.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

We implemented a cross-section design free from the hierarchical configuration of a normal building, blurring the boundaries between building and furniture.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

From the fitting of the terrace to the placement of the shelves and other minute details, we employed a construction method by aggregation, whereby each architectural component becomes a piece of furniture.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

This makes the house a vessel that allows for perpetual change to take place and leaves enough leeway for its inhabitants to add their own touch after they move in.

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects

House in Ookayama by Torafu Architects


See also:

.

SN.House by
atelierA5
House in Kohgo by
Yutaka Yoshida & Assoc.
Y House by
TOFU

Inbetween House by Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates

Inbetween House by Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates

This house in a mountain region outside of Tokyo by Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates is composed of five connected cottages.

Inbetween House by Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates

Each of the larch-clad cottages of Inbetween House varies in size and has a different single roof pitch, with overhangs that overlap one another to create connections internally.

Inbetween House by Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates

The buildings have a fan arrangement on site that adds further variation to the shape of the interior spaces, from which there are wide views of the surrounding landscape.

Inbetween House by Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates

Photography is by Iwan Baan

Inbetween House by Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates

More Japanese houses on Dezeen »

Here are some further details from the architects:


The client chose the sloped site surrounded by Japanese larch trees and located in a mountainous region, an hour away from Tokyo on a bullet train, as their ideal location for their home where they can retreat from their busy work in the city.

Inbetween House by Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates

The house sits on an artificially leveled area of the site created thirty years ago and left unused. Since the client wanted a house seamlessly blend into the natural surrounding, topography and local culture, we designed this house as a collection of small mountain cottages.

Inbetween House by Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates

It consists of five single pitched roof cottages that are clad in the local larch wood siding. Rather than using a complex construction technology, it is built in a traditional Japanese wood construction method so that local builders can skillfully craft each structural wood member. Each cottage varies in size to fit its function and set on site at 30 degree increments to best fit the topography and to face unique views.

Inbetween House by Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates

All cottage roofs have varying slopes and overhangs that touch the overhangs of adjacent cottages, creating gap spaces between these cottages, a simulacrum of alleys in a city. The triangular “connecting” roofs span between these overhangs to capture these gap spaces as a single fluid public interior space, which serves as a living room or a circulation space and feels like being outside looking at mountains in the distance. Since these connecting roofs bend & fold to connect the cottages at multiple angles & heights, the in-between space results in a spatial & structural warpage.

Inbetween House by Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates

The design intent of this house is not the final architectural form, but rather, establishing a set of design rules of cottage placements and connections, which allows the house to be freely arranged to satisfy any requirements and adoptable to any future changes or additions, prolonging its building life.

Inbetween House by Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates

Place: Karuizawa, Nagano, Japan
Architect: Koji Tsutsui Architect & Associates, Koji Tsutsui, Satoshi Ohkami
Structural Engineers: ANARCHItects(CG), Hirotsugu Tsuboi
General contractor: Sasazawa Construction, Inc.
Photographer: Iwan Baan
Site Area: 1956.16m2
Floor Area: 178.43m2
Completion Year: 2010


See also:

.

House in Hieidaira
by Tato Architects
House in Kobe
by Keiichi Sugiyama
House in Fukawa
by Suppose Design Office