Japanese studio Ushijima Architects has accomplished a small wood-clad home in Shiga Prefecture, with dwelling areas raised on a concrete base to assist mitigate the danger of flooding.
Situated close to Biwa-ko, the most important freshwater lake in Japan, the U-Home sits on an space of former wetland used for rising rice that was crammed in after the second world conflict.
Recognising the impacts that the local weather disaster and rising sea ranges might have on the positioning within the close to future, Yokohama-based Ushijima Architects sought to create a home that might stand up to flooding.
“[The area] has been attacked by floods repeatedly after being buried, however the reminiscence of that is forgotten as a result of the expertise of flood management has been improved and a variety of new residences have been constructed,” defined founder Takahiro Ushijima.
“Nonetheless, there’s a risk that this space will likely be attacked with flooding once more due to world warming, or it will likely be lined with reeds if the inhabitants of the world continues to lower and the Biwa-ko’s water stage is to be decrease,” he continued.
“We will not anticipate the way forward for this web site, so I designed this home being acutely aware of two components: flood and reeds.”
U-house sits on a concrete base, elevating its metal-clad decrease stage off the bottom and forming a small terrace across the dwelling with seating areas and a hammock.
Skinny wood columns across the fringe of the concrete terrace assist the house’s higher storey, which initiatives outwards to shelter the areas beneath.
“The primary flooring is supported by diagonal and vertical wooden,” defined Ushijima. “This construction is gentle and melts into the reeds, [and] the extent of the ground escapes from flooding.”
Inside, the bottom flooring incorporates a versatile dwelling area. Right here, the concrete base kinds a datum topped by a wood sill beneath a big window.
Above, the lighter wood construction incorporates a dwelling, eating and kitchen space, in addition to a bed room, toilet and examine beneath a pitched ceiling with skylights.
The 2 halves of the house are expressed externally by the distinction of concrete and steel with blackened timber planks, and internally by tough concrete on the bottom flooring and uncovered timber on the primary flooring.
Black wood flooring on U-Home’s upper-level echo the exterior cladding, and a protracted wood eating desk enjoys views out throughout the panorama by way of two tall, skinny home windows.
“The supplies of this home are primarily Japanese cedar and cypress that are gathered across the Biwa-ko space,” mentioned Ushijima.
“I hope that although the land is altering, this home will likely be regular and floating within the reeds and water like a ship,” he added.
Architects in lots of components of the world are more and more exploring methods of making houses which might be resilient not solely to flooding however different excessive situations created by the worldwide local weather disaster.
Current initiatives featured on Dezeen embody a flood-resistant home in Buckinghamshire by Knox Bhavan Architects and a house in Australia designed by Nielsen Jenkins to face up to bushfires.
The images is by Takahiro Ushijima.
