nendo walls japanese home with CO2-SUICOM concrete blocks

nendo uses CO2-SUICOM to design screening walls

Japanese practice nendo introduces dynamic screening walls to a private residence in Karuizawa, Nagano, using CO2-SUICOM, an eco-friendly carbon removal concrete. Along the road lies the distinctive triangular property extending 110 meters in length, pushing the design studio to concoct a creative solution for securing privacy from passing traffic and pedestrians while acting as a foil for basking in the natural surroundings. With the stacking of concrete, nendo orchestrates the line of sight by adjusting the angles of each block, fine-tuned by occasionally overlapping two rows of CO2-SUICOM. The view is set in one direction in areas with a single row. With two rows, the view on the other side opens up only when the angles in the front and back rows align; otherwise, the view gets obstructed.

image © Masahiro Ohgami

world’s first carbon-capturing concrete in japanese home

CO2-SUICOM is short for CO2-Storage and Utilization for Infrastructure by COncrete Materials. Jointly developed by Kajima, The Chugoku Electric Power Co., Denka, and Landes Co., is the world’s first carbon-capturing concrete. According to nendo (see more here), this material is made by replacing a portion of cement with an industrial byproduct and adding a carbon dioxide-absorbing material for less CO2 emissions during production. Approximately 2,050 blocks are staggered in parallel rows to create five three-meter-high walls.

The residence itself acts as a gap filler in between these walls. Furthermore, calibrating the block angles by three degrees to fit each room condition ensures privacy in the bedroom and bathroom, while also providing a spacious ambience in the living and dining rooms. Ultimately, the design transpires into blocks arranged in a gradient-like pattern.  With CO2-SUICOM, over half the cement is replaced with a more environmentally friendly substitute, allowing us to greatly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide produced from manufacturing the concrete. In fact, the substitute hardens by capturing the compound in the air essentially putting the total emissions from manufacturing the concrete at net-zero or less.