Beam House

Located on a plot with a narrow frontage, this building houses a gallery on the ground floor and a residence on the first and second floors. The gallery was required to have a glass façade, enabling visibility from the street, and an open plan, to ensure flexibility and allow for future changes in use. Also a separate entrance for the residence was requested, along with a design that required no structural walls on the ground floor.

To solve this, the architects created a steel-wood hybrid structure: a Rahmen frame at the front of the building which rendered load-bearing walls unnecessary.

Using increased-height composite beams made of open steel-truss frames inserted along the middle of laminated lumber, constrained the column cross section and provided unobstructed throughout viewpoints, ultimately giving a greater feeling of openness in the space.

Based on strength requirements and the intended use of each area, the architects varied the form of the truss frames and altered the height of the ceiling. Since the steel trusses support only the horizontal load, a fire-resistant covering was not necessary.

Thus the trusses became part of the design, their many styles being used as balcony handrails, sun shades, back support for a bench, and openwork elements above doors. The frames are also visible as-is in many parts of the building, defining both the interior space and exterior appearance.

Beam House received two prestigious awards: the Japan Federation of Architects & Building Engineers Association Prize and the Tokyo Association of Architectural Firms Prize.

Hugo Kohno Architect Associates