House of 24mm Plywood | Alphaville Architects

The House of 24mm Plywood is located on a peaceful street corner in Kyoto, Japan. With the simple form of gable roof covering the tiny house, two folding and parallel plywood walls of each floor divide the house into nine units which can be perceived as a dynamic cross-shaped void and four corner rooms. Folding gently as Japanese folding screens, the cross-shape 24mm-thick plywood walls support the building as a firm structural wall system, but also realize a naturalistic sense of place.

While the small window brings comfortable sunlight into the living room and creates harmonious kitchen, storage, and reading spaces on the ground level, the folding walls make it possible for residents to enjoy the beautiful streetscape and sky view from the terrace on the upper floor. Sitting on the terrace, residents can feel like having a tea break in a cozy cafe in the town. Although the building is extremely tight, it provides various functional and impressive rooms according to the unique spatial composition and the nice relationship with daylight and breeze.

We aim to merge art works and folding walls in this building so that living spaces can serve as a little gallery and display master's drawing collections when friends or guests are invited to her house. All the drawing works, drawn by her grandfather whose works are mainly collected by local museums in Kansai area, add the feeling of Japanese modern art significantly. They also create comfortable atmosphere and impress visitors as they walk into the inner space.

Credits
Architecture Firm: ALPHAVILLE ARCHITECTS
Lead Architects: Kentaro Takeguti , Asako Yamamoto

Photography
Toshiyuki Yano
https://www.yanofoto2.com/

 [JP]

祖父の絵を飾り、犬や魚たちと暮らす、ひとり暮らしの女性のための家。敷地いっぱいに建てた切妻型の家を、1階に2枚、2階に2枚、計4枚の内壁で9つのグリッドに分けている。中央の吹き抜けを介した立体的な十字の空間と、4隅の吹き抜けを介して繋がるそれ以外の空間との、ふたつに家の中を分けた。それぞれのグリッドはかなり小さいが、内壁を24ミリ厚さの合板で、屏風のようにうねらせていることで、壁は家具のスケールに近づき、身体に添うものになっている。また内壁は十字に組み合わさることで、モノコック的に木造の外壁を支える構造補強にもなっている。

うねる壁にはさまれたヴォイドの端にある大きな窓を開け放って、テラスに座ると、街角のカフェでお茶を飲んでいるような空と道との関わりを持つことができる。またリビングの小さな窓辺で読書していると水まわり、キッチン、収納までが一体になった空間の中に小さな光が反射して風がゆっくりと動く。薄くてどっしりした合板という素材を折板状にすることで、カーテンよりもしっかりと空気を分けながら、間仕切り壁よりも薄く、ふたつの空間をつなぐ。とても小さな住宅だが、ごはんを食べたり、眠ったりといった家ですごす様々な時間が混じり合わないまま同居する、おおらかでありながら、場所を少し移動しただけで違う空気が楽しめる小宇宙を設計した。