kengo kuma: meme meadows experimental house

‘memu meadows experimental house’ by kengo kuma, hokkaido, japanall images courtesy of kengo kuma

the farmlands in the meadows of memu, near hokkaido, enjoy beautiful natural scenery accompanied by extremes in climates. kengo kuma and associates therefore modeled their ‘experimental house’ after the traditional ainu dwellings, or earth houses, that used natural materials to insulate and recover the heat created from the indoor fireplace to maintain comfortable temperatures throughout the entire winter. the constructrecalls a barn typology, but differs vastly in material use.  a double skin membrane is composed of a polyester fluorocarbon tarp on the outside anda glass-fiber cloth membrane on the interior, insulated with polyester insulation from recycled PET bottles. the idea is not to create the thickest,most solid insulation possible, but rather to use the material properties to perform in the desired way. allowing light to create a diffuse day-lit glow, the interior enjoys a perfectly lit space that exposes the larch frame structure of the home, all the while maintaining a constant temperature.at night the house is illuminated from the interior, as the radiant floor heating is only necessary to acclimatize the space once every few days. the house becomes a member of its context, changing with the seasons and responding to the different conditions inside and out.

in the farm landscape

covered in snow

interior glows with the daylight

curtains partition the spaces in the interior

a central fireplace radiates heat throughout the entire space

bedroom

wooden ribs exposed through the glow of the translucent skins

bathroom exists within a glass box in the corner

at dusk

bright colors illuminate the snow around the home

larch wood frame structure

a steel substructure anchors the membranes, integrated seamlessly into the wood

membrane preparation

site plan

floor plan / level 0

section

section

section

elevation

elevation

elevation