suppose design office: house in tosuien
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first image
'house in tosuien' by suppose design office, hiroshima, japan
image © toshiyuki yano
all images courtesy of suppose design office
in the quiet residential area of tosuien, in hiroshima, japanese practice suppose design office has recently completed a house for a family with
three children. the particular residence offers its originality at first glance: the metal frame structure and overhanging concrete floor planes are
completely covered in translucent panels like one large light box. an avid collector of motorcycles, the ground floor features ample room for
their storage, with space for a vehicle on the exterior as the house is set back four meters from the road side. the next level contains the social
program - dining and living rooms and kitchen - located partially within a concrete core that hides all the mechanical and plumbing systems,
with the final storey left for all the bedrooms. the small corrugations of the plastic panes give a feeling of transparency but maintain a certain
level of privacy, as the only real clear image exists within about a meter from the skin and is still a bit distorted. the interior is constantly illuminated
by natural diffuse light, with operable windows to provide ventilation. from the inside, the walls become blotched mosaics of the surrounding
neighborhood, hinting at the general colors without exposing too much detail.
front elevation and entry
image © toshiyuki yano
kitchen
image © toshiyuki yano
living room
image © toshiyuki yano
dining and living room
image © toshiyuki yano
translucent panels offer distorted hints of the exterior
image © toshiyuki yano
inset metal frame and concrete floor planes make up the primary structure
image © toshiyuki yano
bedroom
image © toshiyuki yano
glowing house at night
image © toshiyuki yano
image © toshiyuki yano
floor plan / level 0
floor plan / level 1
floor plan / level 2
section
project info:
location: hiroshima city,japan
principal use: personal house
site area: 135.09sqm
building area: 69.36sqm
total floor area: 208.08 m2; (1f:69.36sqm 2f:69.36sqm 3f:69.36sqm)
completion: november 2011
design period: august.
construction period: june 2011-november 2011
structure: steel structure
client: a couple and three children
project architect: makoto tanijiri [suppose design office]
project team: makoto tanijiri [suppose design office] + a.s.associates. in-charge: hajime nagano
What’s the thermal efficiency or energy rating of that house?
Who manufacturers the translucent panels and are they available in the US?
I’ve lived in Japan for 5 years and I can tell you that Japanese constructed homes are by far the most drafty, heat inefficient structures I’ve ever lived in (I’m from the U.S.). Looking at this building I think two things: 1. BS, this is probably not the final version, rather a show piece to display their design, the final home will have real walls, or 2. this family will be sick very often, because Japan gets bone chillingly cold in the winter.
I would have to agree. I could not be convinced that this house retains heat. If you look carefully at the pictures, there aren’t any heat ducts in the floor or the ceiling. The description doesn’t indicate that the structure has radiant heating in the floor. I would hope that someone is not actually raising a family here.
@Andrew, the polycarbonate panels can be R3+ depending on thickness.
they are available from many suppliers in the US, they are commonly used for greenhouses.
they are not corrugated like cardboard, the surface is smooth and there are vertical/square divisions that make the panels stronger. they can be very clear or very diffuse.
Well gaijin san, have you been in any new, manufactured houses by any of the major house builders? Did the owners select double paned windows? Yes they will still sell you single pane windows in Japan. That unfortunately will negate many of the other energy/comfort features of a new house. Most new houses have energy saving features such as fresh air heat exchangers but the new owners are rarely instructed on how to take advantage of them. They use one or two room (the LDK and a bedroom) only heat or cool those rooms, and seal them off from the rest of the house. The stale air exhaust and heat extraction is thus defeated as it is usually in a circulation area such as a hall way or stairwell.
The japanese are obviously much more adventurous with their housing, I have no doubt that this is the final version of this project. Witness the countless houses in Japan you can find on the internet built of solid concrete or steel frame and sheet steel cladding, with ZERO insulation.
this is the corrugated stuff, used in a single layer in a house in Australia.
references the metal cladding used in agricultural and mining buildings.
very nice effect with the wood strips on the interior.
http://ow.ly/gpSaT
Are you dense, Pamela? Hiroshima is below Osaka and closer to the Equator. It doesn’t get cold there.
@Nicholaus.
HVAC The very first photo shows two heat exchanger units on the roof with coolant pipes running into the side of the building. This is how the vast majority of Japanese houses are heated and cooled.
I totally agree with Pamela Buckey!!! you tell the truth behind the photos!
weather tomorrow in Hiroshima is a low of -2 to a high of 7 degrees C.. so that is cold. unless your a Yak. The wall sheeting looks like a celular polycarbonate, thermal efficiency is ok, but if it is only 1 layer, I would not want to be living in that house tomorrow. does look like there there might by 2 layers.
The half height walls of my carport are made from this stuff.
In three years, that house will be green from algae…
I imagine you will also hear everything that happens on the street inside that house… And anyone with a little more than a pocketknife can cut his way through these walls in no time… Very burglar-friendly.
What an utterly drab and lifeless place to live. You’re worried about it being cold? I wouldn’t want to take off my jacket and stay awhile. Have we forgotten quality of light and space??? Perhaps it’s nicer on a sunny day. What privacy is allotted the occupants during the evening hours?? Wow, I’ve never had a reaction like this before.
This is a Japanese modern home, for centuries traditional housing in Japan tradeoff the energy efficient house for a more open and translucent architecture, you have to make some sacrifices during winter but enjoy 100% a spring and summer. Traditional Japanese buildings do not use insulation and the sliding doors/walls are made from paper and wood (not a good insulation choice). The heating is often rented or make by mobile units, is common that tenants purchase heating appliances and take them when they move.
standard R value for this sort of material is R-8, if filled with aerogel it is R-20
double pane glass is R-2
the facade could be made of Rodeca panels, like our translucent office box in prague… which is really similar to this house – look at our fb profilehttps://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.203251716382919.48766.200884889952935&type=3