nks architects: house VI with semi detached gallery and pottery studio

‘house VI’ by nks architects, fukuoka, japanimage © toshihisa ishii

japanese practice nks architects has completed ‘house VI’ outside of fukuoka for an artistic family with open minds, who wanted a connectedseries of spaces while still maintaining privacy from the outside world. the V-shaped volume functions as the residence with a semi-detached gallery and pottery studio space that can spill out through one of the various large openings into the central courtyard space. the interior of the long fluid space is column-less and is separated by mobile rice paper walls that can be repositioned at any time. a thick curved glulam beam ties the repetitive timber frame structure together, resting on shear walls whose loads are transferred into individual concrete footings. diagonally fixed cedar planks provide lateral bracing with a redundant roof joist system clad in angled metal panels, with a poured-in-place exposed concrete floor ties the foundation together, floating off the ground. the exterior wood veneer consists of vertically oriented black panels with slender verticalstrip windows contrasting the inner lighter hues. the work area and living area are connected through glass bridges that carry through the interiorwall as an opening, guiding views to the exterior.

street view, residence on the left, studio on the rightimage © toshihisa ishii

black wood facadeimage © toshihisa ishii