Chigasaki Home, Kanagawa Building, New Japanese Property

Shounan House, Japan : Kanagawa Architecture

Shounan House Kanagawa design by Jun Igarashi Architects

9 Jul 2011

Shounan House

Chigasaki-shi, Kanagawa-ken, Japan (just southwest of Tokyo)

Design: Jun Igarashi Architects Inc.

photographs : Iwan Baan

About the Site

The site is located at an intersection in Kanagawa, province near Tokyo. It is a 10-minute walk from the station and many housing is left from the old. On the North side across the street, an enormous factory stands behind a two story wood construction apartment.

A three-story housing complex sits on the South and an old abandoned house on the west with a small cemetery past it. This project is larger than the surrounding building because there is no gift tax due to the reconstruction of an existing building.

Program

Housing for two generation of family is to be built on this site. The younger generation consists of a couple with two children and the elder generation is of a couple. 3 car parking spot is required. Another requirement is to separate the two generation.

The Project

This environment is known to be warm throughout the year. The summer is known to be hot and humid for several months. The project starts off with the intention of solving the environmental issue.

The first floor plan is the largest possible after placing three car parking spots and a garden. Next, we extrude the floor plan vertically and inclined the wall on the site border.

The first floor ceiling height is the minimum possible in section. The remainder is for the second floor space. First floor is 7m high while the second floor is 4.5m high.

A small vent opening is placed near the floor on the north side of the first floor. On the south side, an exhaust window is placed. The cool corridor on the north and the warm space on the south create a difference in atmospheric pressure which creates air circulation. This continues to insulate the space.

The ventilated space is constructed of wood. Brace is placed to create resistance to sheer in the short direction in the plan.

This large structure is similar to the under utilized attic space in old Japanese wood constructed building. The residents are gently presented with this experience of living in an attic space.

The tall ceiling space is untouchable by human hands. In this space, only light and shade can exist and underneath it, a real family activity happens.

photographs : Iwan Baan

Shounan House – Building Information

Site: Honjyuku-cho, Chigasaki-shi, Kanagawa-ken
Design: Jun Igarashi Architects Inc.
Client: duplex house – Family A: elder couple – Family B : young couple and two children
Project name: Shounan house
Site: 202.71 sqm
Total floor: 161.78 sqm
Ground floor: 96.426 sqm
Second floor: 65.36 sqm
Maximum height: 8.505 m
Structure: wooden
Construction: 2009

Shounan House images / information from Jun Igarashi Architects Inc.

Jun Igarashi Architects

Location: Honjyuku-cho, Chigasaki-shi, Kanagawa-ken, Japan, eastern Asia