Located in an alleyway off a shopping street, the residential project is closely bounded to the East by a road and to the South by a three-story apartment building, and is designed to respond to the densely developed area of Tokyo, Japan.
With a partial shell of galvanised aluminium coated steel sheets, the wooden building contains two independent residences, one on the ground floor, and another comprising the first and second floors. The second floor was handled as a single volume containing private areas such as the master and child’s bedrooms and the bathroom. The ground floor was also treated as a single volume offset from the second floor volume so as to open up space for a terrace on the ground-floor roof. In between these two volumes, the first floor is bounded by two continuous surfaces that fit together like puzzle pieces, embracing an open living room that is integrated with the terrace. In order to maximise natural light into the ground floor, despite the apartment building on the southern side, the ground-floor roof slopes up steeply on that side and has a skylight along the elevated edge that enables light diffusion indoors.
On the first floor, this slope becomes a slanted wall extending the floor of the roof balcony upwards, thereby blocking visibility from the corridor of the adjacent apartment building. Trees planted along the elevated edge of the roof further shield the home from the top floor of the apartment building and enriches the incoming light inside, with shifting patterns of greenery.

Hugo Kohno Architect Associates

The post Ηouse in Minamiyukigaya was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

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

The post Beam House was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.