"You Coach House K": Arch 464 ECS Spring 2014 Name - Quiz #2
"You Coach House K": Arch 464 ECS Spring 2014 Name - Quiz #2
"You Coach House K": Arch 464 ECS Spring 2014 Name - Quiz #2
Arch 464
ECS
Spring 2014 Name_______________________________________
Quiz #2
House K
Sou Fujimoto Architects
A Slice of Life for a Modern Family: In sharp contrast to the clients previous Western-style dwelling, this open,
loftlike house encourages togethernessa quality of life still prized by the Japanese.
By Naomi R. Pollock, AIA
Conceptually, the quirky house on an L-shaped lot in the affluent outskirts of Osaka has a lot in common with
a traditional Japanese dwelling. Fixed, internal walls are conspicuously absent, furnishings delineate func-
tional zones, and the roof is the defining architectural element. It even has a hanare, or freestanding room
separated from the main house. But any likeness between old and new comes to a screeching halt there.
Called House K after the first letter of the clients last name, the latest home from Sou Fujimotoa Tokyo
architect known to push residential design to extremesis a single, swooping volume that emerges gently
from the ground and then rapidly surges upward before tapering to a blunt point at the sites east end. Stud-
ded with trees in giant steel planters, the sloped wedge of a house looks more like a man-made landform than
a place to call home.
While the notion of blending architecture and landscape fascinates Fujimoto, it wasnt exactly what his clients,
a couple with two school-age kids, initially had in mind. Though they had few specific requests, their first
hope was to create a facsimile of Fujimotos House N (which appeared in AR's April 2009 issue). But try as
he might, the architect could not fit that buildings nesting-box scheme on the 3,340-square-foot property,
hemmed in by houses on three sides, open to a grove of trees on the fourth, and tethered to the street by a
98-foot-long path.
These constraints inspired Fujimoto to design the hill-like scheme with a folded roof, softly creased like ori-
gami paper to form two angled surfaces. As it ascends from the grove, the west-facing plane inclines from 10
degrees to 35 degrees along its length. The result is a striking exterior and spacious interior. Acting as both
wall and roof, the north-facing elevation rises abruptly from the ground at 45 degrees but nears 53 degrees
toward the top. Tilted sharply away from the house to the north, this angled surface yields much-needed
breathing room from neighboring houses and creates a logical place for the glass-encased entrance foyer.
The house sits 18 feet above the end of a 10-foot-wide lane and is accessed by two flights of stairs. Protected
by a canopy, the main entrance opens onto a vestibule with a tile floor that segues into the dining area and
kitchena kind of command center with unimpeded sightlines in multiple directions. As with all Fujimoto-
designed dwellings, House K contains a sequence of spaces with ambiguous borders and many possible
functions. Where the ceiling rises, broad steps that double as auxiliary seating lead up to a loftlike sleeping
area used by the parents. Tucked beneath are the bathroom and childrens bedroomthe only spaces with
bona fide walls and doors. On the opposite side of the house, a stair leads to a sunken living area beneath
the descending ceiling. The hanare, perched at the roofs lowest part, provides a private getaway, with a sit-
ting area and powder room.
An antidote to the communal lifestyle prescribed by Fujimotos architecture, the hanare also establishes visual
balance. If the roof was completely naked, it would be too strong, the architect explains. And from the start I
wanted to make it a field for activity. The roof garden supplies the clients with precious outdoor space where
the kids can play and the family can enjoy ice cream on hot summer evenings
Not surprisingly, the roof was the most difficult part of the house to construct. To keep costs down, Fujimoto
opted for a steel-frame system made of 4-by-4-inch H-beams spaced 3 feet apart. Joined with rigid welded
or bolted connections, the frames are linked by connecting beams at the roofs edges. They support a 3-inch-
thick concrete skin that was applied by hand and then finished with waterproofing and paint. Inside, painted
plasterboard walls and ceiling contrast softly with white-tinted birch floors. Custom furniture and the potted
trees, anchored to the structure, dot the roofscape, along with six large skylightstwo of them operable, en-
abling indoor-outdoor circulation via ladders from the sunken living room and loft stairs.
With its curving trajectory, House K marks a dynamic new direction for Fujimoto. Not everyone would feel
at home with its unusual geometry, especially where safety is concerned. While the lofts broad stairs and
the low railings rimming the living area were configured to prevent falls, the roof is devoid of parapets and
guardrails. The trade-off for watching ones step, however, is a chance to live in a place that expands the very
notion of what a home and garden can be, elevating it to new heights and possibilities.
Completion Date: July 2012
3
3 pts. 1. Describe two strategies the architect could have planned to employ (but didn't) and one that
was employed to manage stormwater. Use the section on page 3 as well as the roof and site plan be-
low to show how each impacts the site plan. Critique each for its merits, aesthetics, and limitations
on this site.
Grove of trees
North is down
STREET SMART
4 pts. 2. Describe two options the architects could have planned to employ (but didn't; he followed
code) to demonstrate alternative means to deal with black water. On the typical plans below show
where each would be located in the building. Critique each for its merits, aesthetics, and limitations
in this building and explain your choice of the better option.
7 Bathroom
6
3 pts. 3. Informed by your discussions of questions one and two, propose and diagram an integrated
water use and conservation plan (Eden Project and BedZED are good examples) for the building and
its site, from supply to discharge. Explain how each element contributes to water conservation and
quality.