niizeki studio balances the KHB residence atop a concrete wall

niizeki studio balances the KHB residence atop a concrete wall
image © masao nishikawa
all images courtesy of niizeki studio

japanese practice niizeki studio was faced with a peculiar site challenge when designing the KHB residence in kuhonbutsu. the entry to the site, a narrow 2.5 meter wide space sandwiched by the neighboring structures, stretches to the back end of the site where the primary residence is located. with such limited street appearance, the architects created two orthogonal masses joined by a slender concrete wall that that slices through the longest axis of the site. on the street side a metal-clad volume is floated on top of the partition while the house is solidly planted onto the ground, allowing the concrete barrier to penetrate the living space and inform the nature of the internal program.

street-side entrance
image © masao nishikawa

a stark contrast of material was chosen for the project based on the site’s characteristics. due to the constricting nature of the property, 6mm steel plate was used to cover the exterior of the volumes- a natural rust greatly contrasts the adjacent buildings and serves as a clear ‘gate’ into the house. the interior in turn is defined by layer after layer of hand-placed mulberry paper that creates a warmer and lighter feel. the residence then becomes an inhabitable illustration of the dichotomous condition between industrial versus artisanal, heavy and light, hard and soft.

image © masao nishikawa

image © masao nishikawa

view towards the bedroom
image © masao nishikawa

image © masao nishikawa

  
image © masao nishikawa

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level 0