Japanese studio Ushijima Architects has accomplished a small wood-clad home in Shiga Prefecture, with residing areas raised on a concrete base to assist mitigate the danger of flooding.
Positioned close to Biwa-ko, Japan’s largest freshwater lake, U-Home sits on a former rice-growing wetland that was crammed in after World Struggle II.
Recognizing the affect that the local weather disaster and sea degree rise could have on the positioning within the close to future, Yokohama-based Ushijima Architects sought to create a house that may face up to flooding.
“[The area] it was repeatedly flooded after being buried, however the reminiscence of that is being forgotten as flood management know-how has been improved and many new housing has been constructed,” defined founder Takahiro Ushijima.
“Nevertheless, there’s a chance that this space might be flooded once more attributable to world warming or be lined with reeds if the inhabitants of the realm continues to lower and the water degree in Biwa-ko will probably be decrease,” he added. He continued.
“We won’t predict the way forward for this website, so we designed this home with two parts in thoughts: flood and reeds.”
The U-house sits on a concrete base, elevating the metal-clad decrease degree off the bottom and forming a small terrace round the home, with seating areas and a hammock.
Slender picket columns across the fringe of the concrete terrace help the higher flooring of the home, which tasks outwards to shelter the areas under.
“The primary flooring is supported by diagonal and vertical timbers,” defined Ushijima. “This construction is gentle and melts into the reed, [and] flooring degree escapes flooding”.
Inside, the bottom flooring accommodates versatile residing house. Right here, the concrete base varieties a landmark lined by a picket sill below a big window.
Above, the lighter picket construction accommodates a residing, eating and kitchen space, in addition to a bed room, lavatory and workplace below a pitched ceiling with skylights.
The 2 halves of the home are expressed on the skin by the distinction of concrete and metallic with blackened timber planks, and on the within by uncooked concrete on the bottom flooring and uncovered timber on the primary flooring.
Black wooden flooring on the higher degree of the U-Home echo the outside cladding, and an extended picket desk enjoys views over 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,” Ushijima mentioned.
“I hope that regardless that the land adjustments, this home will probably be secure and float within the reeds and water like a ship,” he added.
Architects in lots of components of the world are more and more exploring methods to create homes which are resistant not solely to floods, but in addition to different excessive situations created by the worldwide local weather disaster.
Current tasks featured on Dezeen embrace a flood-resistant home in Buckinghamshire by Knox Bhavan Architects and a home in Australia designed by Nielsen Jenkins to face up to bushfires.
Pictures is by Takahiro Ushijima.