VUILD's niyodo river stud house in japan is made entirely out of timber planks

Niyodo River Stud House supports Kochi’s local forestry industry

Japanese design studio VUILD completes gabled Niyodo River Stud House using only locally sourced wooden planks. Niyodogawa Town in Kochi Prefecture is developing municipal housing as part of its efforts to support the local forestry industry and attract new residents. The residential project utilizes 30×105mm wooden studs, a material typically exported for Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) panels, to construct the entire building without the use of glued panels or plywood. Designed for efficient disassembly and relocation, the structure maximizes the use of locally sourced timber, reducing both costs and CO2 emissions while strengthening the regional supply chain.

all images by Tomoyuki Kusunose unless stated otherwise

VUILD uses wooden studs sourced from Niyodogawa’s forests

VUILD’s architectural team designs structural components to be under three meters in length to align with the capabilities of a small CNC router (ShopBot) installed in the town. By processing timber locally—from milling and drying to fabrication and assembly—the project minimizes transportation requirements and intermediaries, reducing environmental impact while promoting economic circulation within the community. The project presents a model for sustainable construction that integrates forestry practices with housing production, demonstrating a localized approach to material sourcing and building processes.

VUILD completes Niyodo River Stud House using only locally sourced wooden planks

the sustainable housing project supports the forestry industry in Niyodogawa Town

the structure is built without glued panels or plywood, using only wooden studs

30×105mm studs, typically used for CLT panels, form the entire building

the design ensures all components are under three meters for CNC fabrication

the innovative timber construction is designed to be deconstructed and reused

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construction | image by VUILD

construction | image by VUILD

section | image by VUILD

plan | image by VUILD

section | image by VUILD

project info:

name: Niyodo River Stud House
architect: VUILD | @vuild_architects

design team: Koki Akiyoshi, Hiroyuki Nakazawa, Kanaho Moriya, Toshiki Nishimura, Kano Corporation Co., LTD (Aya Handa, Shinichi Tsuji)　 

structure: DN-Archi Co., Ltd.

location: Niyodogawa Town, Kochi Prefecture, Japan

photographers: Tomoyuki Kusunose, VUILD

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom