Weekend House in Karuizawa

Architects: Makoto Takei & Chie Nabeshima/TNA, Tokyo
Lighting design: Masahide Kakudate/Bon Bori, Tokyo
Structural engineers: Akira Suzuki/ASA, Tokyo

Almost like something out of a fairy tale, this finely detailed weekend house stands in the midst of a wooded area an hour’s car drive from Tokyo. The adjacent roads and the steeply sloping ground made it difficult to sell the site, but when it was offered in conjunction with the weekend house designed by the young architectural practice TNA, interested parties turned up almost immediately.

In their mini-tower, which commands a panoramic view on all sides, the owners can now enjoy the surrounding trees on three levels. The house seems to exist without vertical elements; not even the individual storeys are legible. Everything is concealed behind laminated cedar facade strips 28-125 cm high. These timber strips are rigidly fixed to 12/12 cm timber columns more than 10 m high.

In order to avoid the use of diagonal members, rigid connections were necessary for the prefabricated Vierendeel facade structure. This was achieved with annular split-ring connectors, which unite horizontal members and vertical columns to form a unified whole.

On the ground floor, which is partly buried in the earth, the columns are bolted to the solid base structure. An external layer of burned cedar boarding creates a restrained appearance. Bands of frameless glazing between the strips afford sensuous glimpses through the structure and do justice to the concept of transparency that underlies the entire building.

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This article is an excerpt from DETAIL — Review of Architecture

   

DETAIL is the international magazine dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in architectural design and engineering. Every issue covers a specific construction topic, illustrated contemporary examples and carefully chosen documented material from architects and trade experts — providing architects and engineers with an invaluable source for design and construction ideas.

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