Row House_Sumiyoshi

TADAO
ANDO
who is TADAO ANDO?
Tadao Ando is an
architect of light,
a master of space,
and an enigma of
the architecture
relm. Ando became an
overnight sensation
with the Row House.
And yet he never
underwent any formal
architecture training,
Originally employed
as a carpenter,
his interest in
architecture developed
when he found a book
of Le Corbusier's
sketches abd traced
over the drawings "so
many times that all
the sketches turned
black".
Since Ando did not undertake any formal
architectural education, his unique style and
line of thought about architecture has become a
product of his direct experiences, not taught
intellectualism.
His work is not the monumental, sculpturesque
variety, but instead focuses on architecture
that relates to actual, fluid human life with
its whirlpool of desires and emotion.
Though he greatly simplifies materials,
he produces a human scale, by means of a
symbolisation of the way of life of the
inhabitants.
who is TADAO ANDO?
Location: Osaka, Japan
Design: January - August 1975
Construction: October 1975 -
February 1976
Site area: 57.3 sqm
Building area: 33.7 sqm
Total floor area: 64.7 sqm
whatis the AZUMA HOUSE?
what is the AZUMA HOUSE?
The New Version of Old Row
House, usually referred to
as the Row House, or Azu-
ma House (named after the
client) is built on a very
narrow lot in a core urban
rowhouse neighborhood.
Ando inserted a simple,
narrow concrete rectangu-
lar residence.
During construction, the
adjacent buildings were
left untouched.
construction of the AZUMA
Ando's Row House
is a concentrated
treatment of the old
Kyoto townhouse, a
modernisation of the
internal courtyard of
Japanese house design.
In the centre of the
house is a central
courtyard with exposed-
concrete walls, a
corridor overhead, and
a heavy staircase.
Because of the way
the plan is cut off,
in order to use the
bathroom, the client
must go downstairs and
pass briefly through an
outdoors area.
Section 1:100
In addition to providing
light and serving as the
focal point of family
life, this small court
is a spatial entity that
attempts to compensate
for the reduced physical
space.
A central courtyard is
at the heart of this
house, buffering the
other spaces from the
outside world, while
providing all with
access to light and
air.
Only the living room is
connected to the public
street, by way of an inset
stoop. In addition to living
room and courtyard, the
ground floor contains all
the service spaces (kitchen/
dining room and bathroom),
which are clustered in the
rear one-third of the house.
A narrow stair and bridge
lead to the upstairs bedroom
and study, which lie on ei-
ther side of the courtyard.
Second floor 1:100
First floor 1:100
Site Plan 1:1000
Axonometric drawing
Section 1:100
Because the Azuma
house is windowless
on all sides and only
receives light from
its courtyard, an
artificial lighting
system is created for
the evening.
illuminating the AZUMA HOUSE
During the evening,
the back of the
room is illuminated
through the walls
to provide adequate
lighting.
The hard and artifi-
cial light from light
tubes also emphasize
the rough concrete
interior.
Even later in the evening
when more lighting is re-
quired, soft red light
emits through the square
openings in the walls.
The red light coming from
these small openings
encompasses the building,
allowing it to be adequately
lit.
responses to the AZUMA HOUSE
Tadao Ando said of the Azuma
House:
"This small house was the point
of origin for my subsequent
work... My intention was to
insert a concrete box in this
center section and to create a
microcosm within it, a simple
composition with diverse spaces
and dramatized by light."
Critics have pointed out that
because the bedrooms were
upstairs in separate halves,
to navigate the building would
be "inconvenient" as one would
have to go outside from the
bedroom through the courtyard
to reach the bathroom.
However, Tadao
Ando's construction
of the Azuma
House allows the
internal courtyard
to be a good
source of light as
it acts as a light
well and channels
light through the
building.
The internal
courtyard also
serves as a focal
point for air
circulation within
the building,
allowing better
ventilation.
Breezes would cool
down the house
during the summer.
Concrete's inherent
thermal mass is used
to keep the house cool
in summer and warm in
winter.
Along with its ability to
be cast into curvilinear
forms, concrete is
incorporated to provide
appropriate comfort
conditions and a series
of enclosed spaces in the
house.
By using readily
available and
transportable components
concrete can be a robust
and durable material
requiring very little
maintenance.
The inheritant
small space of
the building
also allows for
less energy
to be used in
the building
(e.g. lighting
purposes,
maintenance).
The interior
courtyard
compensates for
this reduced
physical space.