Article source: Tato Architects

This building is a reconfiguration of a traditional Japanese wooden house. Its wooden frames were exposed after the removal of unnecessary parts. Only by inserting curved walls into it, spatial functions were created. A similar challenge was experienced in the process of designing “Hut with the Arc Wall”, a public toilet in Shodoshima. There, space was defined by a 9mm steel curved wall, which was built under the wooden roof structure by reference to traditional soy sauce factories in that area. An inspiration from cedar barrels of say source was formalized in the curved wall, which showed an aesthetic of self- supporting structure. The only thing to be regrettable was newly built wooden frames. Ideally, it should have been moved from an old house around that area and rebuilt in a new place, but the required tight schedule didn’t allow us to spend time to look for a suitable existing building. However, since then, we have seen it as a distinctive potential for reconfigurations to divide space with curved walls, which is not related to the outer structure.

Image Courtesy © ShinkenchikuSha

• Architects: Tato Architects
• Project: House in Kamisawa
• Location: Hyogo, Japan
• Photography: ShinkenchikuSha
• Software used: Vectorworks
• Construction: Kyowa Techno
• Team: Yo Shimada/Keita Kurokoshi
• Site Area: 223.33㎡
• Building Area: 86.57㎡ (38.76% of max 60% of coverage ratio permission)
• Total Floor Area: 86.57㎡ (38.76% of max 200% of floor area ratio permission)
• First floor: 86.57 ㎡

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