Projects

続・四本柱建物

2013、東京

都内の20坪にも満たない狭小地に立つ事務所兼用の、四人家族のための住宅である。

古い木造長屋の住宅が立ち並ぶ周辺環境から、1階を事務所、2、3階を事務所所長の家族のための住居とした。通常、1階を事務所、その上階を住居とした場合、その二つの性格の違いから、それぞれに完全に独立した空間が求められることが多い。その断絶とも言える分け方を、柱をもって繋げられないかと考えた。

「四本柱建物」以降、様々な住宅以外の設計も含め、「柱の建築」の更なる可能性を模索していた。
「続・四本柱建物」では、床を貫く通し柱が、床に固定されず、独立して立ち、最上階の天井まで延びていく。
そのことによって、床上の柱の周りに出来た不規則な開口部は、上下階を緩やかに繋ぎ、常に家族の気配を感じさせ、また適度な距離感を保つ。

この建物においては、(四本の)柱はこの住宅を成り立たせるために必要なのか? それとも、四人の家族のために、(四本の)柱を立てるためだけに住宅という存在が必要なのか? その両義性を問い続ける。

「四本柱建物」の計画から三年。「四本柱建物」の柱の周りに、ただ、吹き抜けを設けただけとも言える。ただそれだけのために、三年も掛かったことを今思う。

■事務所兼用住宅
敷地面積:64.08㎡
建築面積:36.94㎡
延床面積:101.55㎡
地上3階建て
木造(一部、鉄骨造)

■模型製作(一部)
山本怜奈


This is a residence and office for a family of four, situated on a tiny plot of land—less than 20 tsubo (approx. 66 square meters)—in Tokyo.
Given the surrounding environment, characterized by rows of old, wooden, terraced-style houses, the ground floor was designated as an office, while the second and third floors serve as a residence for the family of the office principal. Typically, when an office occupies the ground floor and a residence sits above it, the distinct nature of these two functions often necessitates completely separate, independent spaces. I wondered if it might be possible to bridge this divide—this stark separation—by using columns.
Since the project "Four-Column Building," and through various other non-residential designs, I have been exploring the further potential of "architecture defined by columns."
In "Four-Column Building: Continued," the continuous columns—which pierce through the floor slabs—are not fixed to the floors; instead, they stand independently, extending all the way up to the ceiling of the top floor.
As a result, the irregular openings created around these columns allow for a gentle connection between the floors, ensuring that the presence of family members can always be felt, while simultaneously maintaining a comfortable sense of distance.
In this building, one might ask: Are the (four) columns necessary to make this house function? Or, conversely, is the house itself merely a vessel created for the sole purpose of erecting these (four) columns for the family of four? I continue to explore this inherent ambiguity.
Three years have passed since the initial "Four-Column Building" project. In a sense, all I have done here is add a void—an open space—around the columns of that original design. Looking back, I realize it took me three years just to arrive at that single, simple intervention.

■Residence-cum-office
site area:64.08㎡
building area:36.94㎡
total floor area:101.55㎡
Number of stories: +3
Structure: wooden
design year: 04 〜 06.2013

■Model production(partial)
REINA YAMAMOTO