kochi architect's studio: amida house

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kochi architect's studio: amida house

Dec 17, 2012

first image
'amida house' by kochi architect's studio, shizuoka, japan
image © daici ano
all images courtesy of kochi architect's studio

the 'amida house' in shizuoka, designed by japanese firm kochi architect's studio, first began as a reformation of corbusier's domino house system,
retaining the concrete floor slab, free plan and slender columns and re-envisioning it in section. the floor planes between the three vertical zones
marked by the 'pilotis' are shifted up and down as a 'free section' rather than a 'free plan,' offering a vertical integration of spaces. each level
contains a unique function, the kitchen, bedroom, bike storage and garage, display area, guest room and rooftop terraces. the separate heights
provide various connections to either the ground or sky, at times revealing the peak of mount fuji towards the west. the entrance brings visitors to the
center area of the dwelling, containing the private functions, with glimpses of the social activities occurring on the floors above. structural walls
exist as the exterior envelope, freeing the interior to accentuate the level changes. the vertical circulation is allocated to the back side of the house
within a shear wall system and through the several ladders.

each floor communicates with several others
image © daici ano

offset levels
image © daici ano

image © daici ano

bedroom
image © daici ano

(left) view to the garage
(right) circulation
image © daici ano

living room
image © daici ano

living room looking towards roof terraces
image © daici ano

(left) bathroom
(right) dining room
image © daici ano

exterior entrance
image © daici ano

site plan

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level 1

floor plan / level 2

floor plan / level 2.5

roof plan

section

section perspective

model
image © kazuyasu kochi

project info:

architects: kazuyasu kochi / kochi architect's studio
location: gotenba, shizuoka, japan
structural engineer: mi+d architectural structure laboratory
constractor: kouei koumuten
site area: 187.3 m2
total floor area: 115.5 m2
year: 2011

danny db

12.17.12

kochi architects studio (4 articles)

you should have very strong legs to live in this house. so much climbing up and down the stairs and ladders…. perhaps that’s what i need, an exercise.

s. lee says:

Dec 17, 2012

Reply
The coldness of a psychologists office with the impracticality of a snow jacket in Cairo. A good piece of art though, but nothing can make up for the fact that this house is both a bit too far off in function, and a bit lacking in form, it makes for, at most, an interesting thing to be discussed.

Evan says:

Dec 17, 2012

Reply
when I first looked at this, i was intrigued, seemed interesting, and I liked the glimpses that you get through to the different levels. apon further investigation, i have realized that this is possible the most inefficient plans I have ever seen, something Corb would have hated. even though it is a really large 1 bedroom house (for the same space you could get 3 or 4 bedrooms) the spaces still look poky and small.

congratulations on convincing your client to do this, or are you the client?

morgan says:

Dec 18, 2012

Reply
Japanese architects are seemingly in an ongoing war to out-stage each other in weird house designs. The main purpose for this must be to be published on design forums on the internet (coincidence so many of the projects here are from Japan?). However i do feel sorry for the anxious Japanese hipster clients who are duped into going along with these horrific plans simply to satisfy the architects need to do something crazy.

Erik says:

Dec 18, 2012

Reply

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kochi architects studio (4 articles)

kochi architect's studio: amida house

corbusier's free plan domino house is turned on its side and redeveloped as a 'free section' creating a (read more)

kochi architect's studio: 47% house

dedicating 47% of the house to interior space, the design generously incorporates outdoor programs into (read more)

kochi architect's studio: garden house

situated on a lush site, the design integrates the nature of the garden into the architecture by (read more)

kochi architect's studio

two residential projects by the japanese studio that illustrate their unique wall treatments and spatial (read more)

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