Column and Slab House Design Project

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Column and Slab house design projectWritten by Administrator

Tuesday, 21 April 2009 12:30

Katsuya Fukushima and Hiroko Tominaga ofFT Architects have

completed a residence called Column and Slab in Tokyo, Japan.
http://fta.gotohp.jp/http://www.mediengi.com/index.php/component/mailto/?tmpl=component&link=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5tZWRpZW5naS5jb20vaW5kZXgucGhwL2FyY2hpdGVjdHVyZS1kZXNpZ24tL3Byb2plY3RzLzk3MS1jb2x1bW4tYW5kLXNsYWItaG91c2UtLmh0bWw%3Dhttp://www.mediengi.com/index.php/architecture-design-/projects/971-column-and-slab-house-.html?tmpl=component&print=1&page=http://www.mediengi.com/index.php/architecture-design-/projects/971-column-and-slab-house-.pdfhttp://fta.gotohp.jp/


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The three-storey building is situated on a narrow 5 x 14 metre site.


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Eight concrete columns pierce the interior and support two 100mm-

thick floors, which cantilever out at the sides.


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The third storey is constructed from timber.


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The grid frame is modernist, while the columns and the raised

floors are traditional Japanese forms, say the architects.


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Photographs by Koichi Torimura.

Heres some more information from the architects:

Like a Museum

Column and slab is our third residential work. Whilst the context is

similar to that of our previous two projects, e-house and s-

house, which were located amidst the densely built-up area of

Tokyo, the form and meaning of this house turned out to be

something quite different.


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The site, at 5m x 14m, is small and narrow even compared to its

modest neighbours. Furthermore, it is bounded on three sides by

the adjacent plots, leaving only the narrow frontage open to the

road.


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The main theme of the two previous works, was to deflect the

effects of urban density through the use of devices such as the free-

form, cranked screens. However, on such a tight site, it is not

enough merely to deal with the feeling of oppression brought about

by the dense surroundings. From the first time we saw the site, we

had wanted the house to evoke the historical form/typology of the

dwelling and to challenge the urban environment.


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Eight Columns

As ground improvement was necessary, a grid frame of columns and

beams was employed, and the groundwork was confined to the

areas beneath the columns. Next, the columns bearing onto the

foundation were brought inside the house, resulting in the cantileverof the floors at the sides, maximizing the width of the building. The

columns are integrated within the interior of the house. During

construction, the site resembled an excavation of Japanese ancient

columns.


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The 300mm square concrete columns are positioned on the 2.6m x

3.0m grid and support the two 100mm-thick raised floors. A timber

box sits on the top of the concrete building like a penthouse. This

simple and clear structure is a logical solution dealing with the

clients wish for as much space as possible, while at the same time,

addressing the restrictions imposed by the urban environment and

regulations. However, this would not have been possible had it not

been for the cooperation of the client who joked that the rough

concrete columns were like additional members of the family.


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The House and its Form

On entering the ground floor, there is a comfortable sense of

tension, instilled by the grid of columns marking three spaces of

approximately 4.5 tatami-mats in size, arranged along the length of

the house, and by the 0.95m aisles on either side. This floor is calledthe doma, an earthen floor room, and it brings the outside and the

city into the house.


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The floor-to-ceiling height of the first floor is moderately lowered,

creating an impression of both tension and intimacy, while the

mobile storage and the light well loosely divide the bedrooms from

the bathroom. On the second floor, you are greeted by the simple

box-form space with its generous openings and relaxed atmosphere.

This is where dining takes place and hence where the domestic hub

lies. The eight columns, in place of partitions, adapt flexibly to the

changes that will occur in family life over time. Not only do these

concrete columns have a structural function, but they also harbour

the potential for other functions in the future.


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In Tokyo today, the houses that are built do not adhere to any

particular order or set of rules. Amidst this sprawl of unrestricted

confusion, we wanted to create a house that was akin to a museum.


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Integrating traditional forms into everyday life, allows the house to

establish links to tradition and to create a sense of spatial tension.

The grid frame is modernist, while the columns and the raised floors

are traditional Japanese forms. These established forms will play a

vivid part in their contemporary setting. We are in the process of

developing a language that employs forms without being nostalgic

and traditionalist.


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Work Title: COLUMN AND SLAB

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Architect: Katsuya Fukushima, Hiroko Tominaga / FT Architects

Principal Use: House

Total Floor Area: 105.6m2

Structure: Reinforced Concrete, Partly Wood, 3 stories


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Posted by Rose Etherington

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