KUU: minusk house

minus k house' by KUU in nanhui, shanghai, china
all images courtesy KUU
image © jeremy san / stzernstudio


shanghai-based practice KUU (kok-meng tan, satoko saeki) has sent us images of their most
recent project 'minus k house', a private dwelling adjacent to the client's slipper factory in nanhui, china.
composed of two components - a weekend house and a residence for the worker - the design is
a collection of 3m by 3m volumes that connect to one another to result in a flowing and porous
circulation within.



looking in from the exterior
image © jeremy san / stzernstudio


while the project was conceived as two separate residences, the design achieves a highly
interconnected atmosphere for its inhabitants: a large table placed at the center of the layout
acts as the anchor to the space with the rest of the house pinwheeling off of its point.
the two kitchens and a pair of courtyards are placed at the table's four corners, enabling the clients'
and the worker's families to cook facing one another through a diagonal opening.



facade
image © jeremy san / stzernstudio



view of a courtyard
image © jeremy san / stzernstudio


a series of intersection wall sections continue the language of the exterior to the interior,
making transparent the design's box-like composition. passageways of each room seemingly spills
on to each room, promoting a sense of free movement and openness. while largely connected,
careful attention was paid to place the programs of the respective houses at an appropriate distance
to promote a comfortable level of privacy. the project is an new type of structure that explores
shared housing models at a small scale.



interior view
image © jeremy san / stzernstudio



image © jeremy san / stzernstudio



image © jeremy san / stzernstudio



central table looking diagonally into other house
image © jeremy san / stzernstudio



kitchen next to courtyard
image © jeremy san / stzernstudio



image © jeremy san / stzernstudio



bedroom
image © jeremy san / stzernstudio



schematic diagram



site plan



floor plan / level 0



floor plan / level +1


section a-a



section b-b