ヒ

The building name “ヒ”, refers to the reinforced concrete structure shaped like the katakana character “ヒ”, composed of two floor slabs and one wall slab. The residence was rebuilt for the same client. The plan reorganized the uncharacteristic site into “residential land” by aggressive use of infrastructure created via the structure. In creating “residential-land”, priority was especially placed on three points linked to various environmental conditions:

1. Construct a barrier on the west side, a response to on-going issues with the neighbor.
2. Secure a view from the north side, facing the road, to the existing garden.
3. Lift the original activities on grade, which were centered around a garden with large bush to the second floor (with a lot more sunshine).

The “artificial ground” of the raised “ヒ” platform was designed to meet these requests. A wooden one-story residence is built on this raised platform.
The first and second floor are independent, separated by the raised platform. This also enabled shifting the second floor volume’s main direction. This house and the house next door (owned by the client’s brother) together frame an open space, an arrangement that took into account sunlight and views for both homes.
The wooden structure is attached to the reinforced concrete wall onto which the horizontal load is transmitted via the strong floor which is supported by “pin pillars”. There are no earthquake-resistant walls in the wooden part at all and the RC framing ultimately bears all the horizontal load. It’s a service wall; shear wall, fire wall, soundproof barrier; all located to the west. The psychological effect is of the ground plane made vertical on its side.