takeru shoji architects reconsiders all-season design in japanese wooden house

located in a basin surrounded by mountains in uonuma city, japan, this house by takeru shoji architects is built to adapt to all seasons, since temperatures reach 30 degrees celsius during summer, while heavy snowfalls occur during winter. reconsidering typical architectural measures taken in constructions of the area, the japanese studio has designed the house with a new approach on how to deal with snow, cold, and heat, bringing residents closer to the surrounding landscape.

all images by noriki matsuzaki

instead of building a house with thick walls and high foundations, which would create a sense of discomfort and isolation between inside and outside, takeru shoji architects has designed the residence based on three, unconventional for the area, principles: thin walls instead of thick ones, low foundations, and large buffer zones. the framework of the house’s wooden shell has been left exposed, while insulation has been placed on the outer walls, resulting in a thickness of about 160 mm, which, however, is not felt when inside. the floor level has been lowered to almost that of the ground, bringing residents in direct contact with the foundations, the framework and structural details.

the architects have placed living areas almost at the same height of the ground, as foundations are considerably lower than those of typical constructions in the area. firmly insulated from the outside, the foundations store a large amount of heat from the wooden stove, while in the summer, they can be used as an air-cooling pool. rather than providing a small buffer space such as a terrace, takeru shoji has created a larger zone, adding more comfort to the interior and connecting indoor and outdoor organically.

project info:

name: m house / house in uonuma

architect: takeru shoji architects .co.,ltd

project architect: ryoichi aida, yuki hirano

structural design: tetsuya tanaka(tetsuya tanaka structural engineers)

contractor: kenji uchida(kiryu kougyo)

total floor area: 93.92 sqm

structure: wood

location: uonuma-city, niigata-prefecture, japan