House NA by Sou Fujimoto Architects is one of the most unique designs the Sifter has seen. Located on a small side street in a very lively and ‘hip’ part of Tokyo, the 914 sq-ft (85 sq-m) house is made up of 21 individual ‘floor plates’ each ranging from 21-81 sq-ft (1.95 – 7.5 sq-m)
– The extreme openness of the design was at the request of the clients, a young couple with no children
– The structure consists of 1-inch-thick, corrugated-steel deck plates plus solid 1.4-by-2.4-inch rectangular beams and 2-inch-square columns—all assembled on-site with welded joints
– The various levels are linked by an assortment of stairs and ladders in addition to short runs of fixed and movable wooden steps
– The HVAC and plumbing equipment, as well as storage and lateral bracing are located in the thick, north-facing wall at the rear of the house
– Curtains were installed to provide temporary partitions that address the concern for privacy and separation at night
– Additional lateral bracings are located in a full-height bookshelf and lightweight concrete panels inserted into the side elevations
– White-tinted birch flooring and stairs blend with the structure and serve as a visual transition to the chunky wood sashes and frames that outline the operable windows
Along with the fantastic pictures by world-renowned photographer Iwan Baan below, there is also a video-walk through of this fascinating house at the bottom of the post.
“The intriguing point of a tree is that these places are not hermetically isolated but are connected to one another in its unique relativity. To hear one’s voice from across and above, hopping over to another branch, a discussion taking place across branches by members from separate branches. These are some of the moments of richness encountered through such spatially dense living.” – Sou Fujimoto (via ArchDaily)
“The white steel-frame structure itself shares no resemblance to a tree. Yet the life lived and the moments experienced in this space is a contemporary adaptation of the richness once experienced by the ancient predecessors from the time when they inhabited trees. Such is an existence between city, architecture, furniture and the body, and is equally between nature and artificiality.” – Sou Fujimoto (via ArchDaily)
“The composition of space—a group of small floors at different levels—is fine for me, but this house would honestly be too open for my personal residence.” – Sou Fujimoto (via Architectural Record)
Sources
– Sou Fujimoto Architects
– Iwan Bann Photography
– ArchDaily
– Architectural Record
– Domus Magazine
– DesignBoom
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