Column and Slab house design project

Written by Administrator
Tuesday, 21 April 2009 12:30

Katsuya Fukushima and Hiroko Tominaga of FT Architects have

completed a residence called Column and Slab in Tokyo, Japan.
The three-storey building is situated on a narrow 5 x 14 metre site.
Eight concrete columns pierce the interior and support two 100mm-
thick floors, which cantilever out at the sides.
The third storey is constructed from timber.
“The grid frame is modernist, while the columns and the raised
floors are traditional Japanese forms,” say the architects.
Photographs by Koichi Torimura.

Here’s 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.
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.
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.
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 cantilever
of 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.
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
client’s 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.
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 called
the “doma”, an earthen floor room, and it brings the outside and the
city into the house.
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.
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.
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.
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
–

Posted by Rose Etherington

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