Architecture update: Letter from Japan
House in Seya, Kanagawa, by Suppose Design Office
Architect Makoto Tanijiri explores a new relationship between architecture and nature within the four closed walls of what looks like a red wooden shed in Kanagawa. He has ’removed’ some of the architectural scale of the living spaces, instead adding it to the indoor garden, while at the same time blurring the boundaries between the two.
www.suppose.jp
Priorities have changed radically since we last took an in depth look at the Japanese architectural landscape. The country is now anxious to pull its economy out of a recession stemming from March's devastating Tōhoku Earthquake and tsunami, as well as the problems related to the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant. The natural disaster plunged the Asian nation, the world's third-richest economy, into its worst crisis since World War II, but widespread reconstruction works are now underway, with architects taking a key role in the most damaged areas, constructing temporary relief facilities as well as new sustainable master plans. The design community has also come to the fore, expressing its support with art, graphics and products in the hope of raising money.
Current power shortages have forced the Japanese to limit their energy consumption, a phenomenon that architects have picked up on as a new starting point of design. Fresh ideas on living 'the old way' (a traditional Japanese house was built to resists its souring hot summers without the use of air-conditioning) are characterising new designs and the architects are making a virtue of necessity. Here, we take a look at several of the small building projects that are currently sprouting up in the country, all of which have been designed with freshly environmentally conscious minds.
Static Quarry, Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, by Ikimono Architects
In Takashi Fujino’s concrete Static Quarry, an eight-tenant apartment building in Takasaki City, daily life of the residents goes back and forth between the interior spaces and the relatively large open-air ‘cavities’. The architect provided the outdoor rooms with running water and electricity and tenants are invited to tailor these spaces as private living rooms.
House in Kitakami, Iwate prefecture, by Yukiko Nadamoto
Yukiko Nadamoto has turned conventional house design inside out with this property. The main living areas are based on an abstract interpretation of a city street while the outdoor terrace is treated like an indoor room.
House with Eaves and Attic, Tokyo, but ON Design
ON design’s House with Eaves and Attic sits atop a hill in Tokyo, facing a steep drop. The architects have preserved the vegetation of the plot by incorporating it into their design. To this end, the roof - which slopes at the same angle as the incline - is punctuated by trees.
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Inside Outside house, Tokyo, by Takeshi Hosaka
Takeshi Hosaka’s Inside Outside house comprises an enclosed core surrounded by an outer shell perforated with openings. With this naturally ventilated project, the architect hopes the clients will once more get in synch with the changing weather of the seasons.
www.hosakatakeshi.com
Little One-room House with A Curve, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, by Studio Velocity
The 41 sq m beauty shop designed by Studio Velocity compensates for its smallness with an eye catching exterior. From the tiny entrance, the shop slowly grows in height and width, at the same time as the light intensity increases. Architects Kentaro Kurihara and Miho Iwatsuki have ensured that the curvature is just shallow enough for one end of the space to be visible from the other.
www.studiovelocity.jp
Kumagai House, Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture, by Hiroshi Kuno + Associates
Hiroshi Kuno has shaken up a typical residential neighbourhood in Sapporo with unconventional proportions and unusual floor heights. His play with perspectives now leads to spontaneous contact with the neighbours and passers-by.
qno.jp
Branch House, Fukushima, by Kino Architects
Central to the plan of Branch House by Kino architects are the main living and dining areas. From here four rooms, including a master bedroom, a children’s room, a guest room and a bathroom, branch out in four different directions, all taking advantage of the best natural light conditions. Meanwhile, an open loft above the rooms provides the residents (a couple and two children) with room to distance themselves from each other, as well as offers plenty of storage space.
www.masahirokinoshita.com
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Josèfa Ntjam on her surreal utopias in Venice
Artist Josèfa Ntjam and LAS Foundation bring other worlds to life with ‘swell of spæc(i)es’ at Palazzina Canonica during the Venice Biennale 2024
By Hannah Silver Published
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Henry Wood House’s postmodernist bones are refreshed by Nice Projects in London
Nice Projects breathes new life into the Henry Wood House in London, offering ample flexible office spaces for modern workers
By Daven Wu Published
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VitrA’s recycled washbasin is a world first
VitrA reveals its recycled ceramic washbasin, made using almost 100 per cent waste materials from the bathroom company’s own production process
By Simon Mills Published
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Modern Japanese houses inspiring minimalism and avant-garde living
We tour the best Japanese architecture and modern Japanese houses designed by international and local architects that open up possibilities for all types of lifestyle, from minimalist to communal in Japanese architecture.
By Ellie Stathaki Published
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An Aoyama House exemplifies a synergetic architect and client relationship
A client’s faith in his architect pays dividends in Aoyama House; a light-filled, effortlessly elegant Tokyo home
By Jens H Jensen Published
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Tokyo home Le49Ⅱ brings together drama, domestic luxury and hybrid working habits
Le49Ⅱ by Japanese architects Apollo is a Tokyo home for a young family with hybrid working habits
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Takeshi Ikeuchi’s kei truck is a minimalist Japanese mobile showroom
Takeshi Ikeuchi's kei truck design is a Japanese timber specialist’s minimalist mobile showroom
By Jens H Jensen Published
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Nekoyacho Bldg is a Hiroshima office on a crossroads of 'food, work and entertainment'
Nekoyacho Bldg has been designed by Suppose Design Office as a 21st century workspace in Hiroshima, Japan
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Heatherwick Studio’s Azabudai Hills district launches as Tokyo’s newest city-in-a-city
Tokyo welcomes the Azabudai Hills district, designed by Heatherwick Studio and constructed as a city-in-a-city after over three decades of planning
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Toranomon Hills Station by OMA adds dynamism to the Tokyo skyline
Toranomon Hills Station is OMA's first tower in Tokyo - as well as a project expanding and evolving the high rise typology
By Danielle Demetriou Published
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Terunobu Fujimori’s Kodomari Fuji guest house features a roof lined with cherry trees
Cherry trees line the roof at Kodomari Fuji, Terunobu Fujimori's first accommodation facility design, a private guest house in Japan
By Joanna Kawecki Published