About the Site
The site sits in Northern Japan, in a small city of Eastern Hokkaido with a mere population of 7000. The forestry industry has been lasting since long ago, however depopulation advances while the factory industry declines. The house sits on a large site of about 2000 square meter in such a city. Building density in the area is very low, a unique cityscape in Japan. To the East, across the street, there is a wood factory, to the West, a hospital. The house has quite a distance from the nearest neighbors sitting to the South and North making it difficult to draw from the context.
The Program
For the couple who will be residing here, the basic program is placed in;
entry foyer, entry storage, family room, kitchen, guest room, bedroom, side
room, wash closet, wash room, and bath. The residents do not want to feel
the eyes of the passer-bys and that there is no difference in floor level.
The Project
As we begin our studies with the given condition, a rational square plan
is constructed with the rooms fitted into the plan. However, we realize
that this method creates extra circulation corridors and orients rooms and
views in an irrational manner. The smallest plan of each program is cut
out to be placed in a location and orientation that is favorable. For example,
the kitchen is placed in a selfish way to look out to the tree garden
on the site, and then connected the dinning to the kitchen. With this method,
the extra circulation corridors to connect the spaces and hierarchy due
to its location and orientation are omitted.
Volumetric study follows by setting all volume to 10 m high. From this point, according to the room function and area, the appropriate ceiling height is applied to each volume. Each volume becomes shorter as it sprawls from the tallest central living room. From certain points of the site, the house may look symmetrical but one step over, the form changes; similar phenomenon to construct in nature.
Furthermore, the
site is in an extremely cold climate area and there is a very large difference
in temperature throughout the year. This plan of the house, compared to
the original square plan, creates various nooks and crannies on the exterior
form, allowing for facades to be in light and shade. These nooks are viewed
as buffer space which windows are oriented towards. The temperature difference
between the façade which faces the sun and shade creates ventilation
in the summer. On the other hand, during the winter, the nooks protect the
windows from the cold wind and avoid the snow. This form is similar to some
cacti which strive in the desert. A section of a cactus shows that they
have folds in the surface to create shades to keep it cool. A comfortable
architecture is created when drawing from such a simple form in nature,
and is a starting point for new type of architecture.
Jun
Igarashi Associates
81,
Miyamae, Saroma, Tocoro-gun
093-0501 Hokkaido, Japan
Tel.
01587-2-3524 Fax. 01587-2-3561
jtim4550@coral.ocn.ne.jp
LINKS:
PROJECT
DATA
PROJECT NAME: HOUSE O
LOCATION:RUBESHIBE-CHO,KITAMI-SHI,HOKKAIDO
ARCHITECTS: JUN IGARASHI ARCHITECTS INC.
CLIENT :YOUNG COUPLE
SITE SURFHACE: 1483.65M2
TOTAL FLOOR : 112.15M2
GROUND FLOOR: 112.15M2
MAXIMUM HIGH: 6,503.8 M
STRUCTURET: WOODEN
CONSTRUCTION: 12.2008_04.2009
BIOGRAPHY
Jun Igarashi
Born on Hokkaido, 1970
Set up own practice Jun Igarashi Architects Inc., 1997
Instructor of Hokkaido Institute of Technology,
Nagoya Institute of Technology, and Tohoku University.
Education:
Hokkaido Central Kougakuin Technical College, 1990
Recent works (include year for each
project):
House m , 2009 Hokkaido , Japan
Signal Barn , 2009 Hokkaido , Japan
Shonan House, 2009 Tokyo, Japan
House O, 2009 Hokkaido, Japan
Layered House, 2008 Hokkaido, Japan
Agricultural Burn, 2008 Hokkaido, Japan
House of Trough, 2008 Hokkaido, Japan
Rectangle of Light, 2007 Hokkaido, Japan
density, 2007 Hokkaido, Japan
room/set, 2007 Hokkaido, Japan
Corridor of the waste, 2007 Hokkaido, Japan
tea house, 2006 Hokkaido, Japan
ANNEX, 2006 Hokkaido, Japan
Awards:
AR AWARDS EMERGING ARCHITECTURE, 2006, England
The Grand Prix of American Wood Design Awards 2006/ Best of Residential,
USA
Excellent Prize of Life study center of Toyota city proposal competition,
2006, Japan
Finalist of Ferrous Park International Architectural Competition, 2006,
USA
Excellent Prize of JIA Environmental Architecture, 2007, Japan
The Grand Prix of Sapporo 1st street shopping arcade activation Design Contest,
2007, Japan
3rd prize of Sapporo ADC Competition & Award, 2007, Japan
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[2010-01-12] |
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photo by Iwan Baan
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HOUSE "O"
