kengo kuma stacks cedar boards to form tree-inspired 'coeda' house in japan

kengo kuma has completed the ‘coeda house’, a café located in a garden in shizuoka, japan. the design aesthetic is informed by the innovative structure, which sees the design team stack square cedar boards to form a huge tree-like building. the scenic project allows views over the pacific ocean and the surrounding landscape.

all images © kawasumi・kobayashi kenji photography office

the 8 centimeter square cedar boards were stacked randomly and reinforced with a carbon fiber rod, with a tensile strength seven times that of iron. the design imitates the structural elegance of a tree: where a a single trunk with large branches provides stability in the event of an earthquake. kengo kuma appropriately named the project ‘coeda house’, which means the ‘house of small branches’. the site lies on a cliff overlooking the pacific ocean which allows it to become an observatory to experience nature.

the cafe allows for a scenic dining experience within the oceanside garden

‘due to the tree-like form, we were able to eliminate columns at the perimeter which would otherwise obscure the landscape‘, explains kengo kuma & associates. sprawling across 1,500 square feet, the open pavilion and cafe becomes carefully integrated within the shizuoka landscape.

the 8 centimeter square cedar boards were stacked randomly and reinforced with a carbon fiber rod

the design imitates the structural elegance of a tree where a a single trunk provides stability

kuma appropriately named the project coeda house, which means the ‘house of small branches’

the site lies on a cliff overlooking the pacific ocean which allows it to become an observatory to experience nature

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