japanese architect issei suma has completed the construction on one of their latest projects, jikka, a series of five huts located on the top of a previously flattened mountaintop in shizuoka prefecture. the modest complex belongs to two women- one a social worker and the other a chef – and fulfills as much an altruistic purpose as it does provide permanent housing, a restaurant, and temporary accommodation for the community. with elderly and disabled care at the heart of the project, the restaurant delivers locally-sourced meals to those in the community that are immobile or otherwise unable to feed themselves.
the homogeneity of material lends to the simplicity and calmness of the architecture
image © takumi ota (also first image)
the housing provides a sort of hospice care for the sick and elderly, as well as those who wish to help to serve the community. the five huts, each designed to fulfill a specific purpose, form a cohesive structure, unassuming in scale and representative of the mountaintop in occupies. the foundation consists of cast-in-place concrete forming gentle curves framing the semi-circular doorways and windows. resting on top, white-coated timber planks and sheathing ascend to a gradual point containing a small skylight that indirectly illuminates the interior spaces and reflects natural light throughout.
image © takumi ota
variously-sized openings on each side of the squared footprints provide constant views and connections to the calming exterior. from the exterior, slender planks left to their natural color wrap each surface creating a soft, smooth cladding. think arches expose where square is turned into circle, with the grain of the envelope slowly twisting around the huts’ canopies, somewhere in between the primitive and the holy.
the different height of each hut represents the mountain range they reside in
image © takumi ota
image © takumi ota
the wooden huts maintain a low profile in the wooded landscape
image © takumi ota
semi-circular doors connect each hut to the exterior
image © takumi ota
image © takumi ota
the central and largest hut contains the kitchen and space for seating
image © takumi ota
the ground level is flooded with natural light from the walls and above
image © takumi ota
image © takumi ota
a gradual sloping bathtub caters to those with handicaps
image © takumi ota
skylights diffuse natural light throughout
image © takumi ota
image © takumi ota
image © takumi ota
image © takumi ota
image © takumi ota
project info:
design: suma/issei suma
contractor: hirai construction
structural engineer: nawaken-jm
structure: rc+timber frame(roof)
total floor area: 100 sq/m
built: 09/2015
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