subscribe
e-newsletter
contact us
advertise
from our archive
Projects   Residential Quarterly – July 2005
Off the Record: Recent Blog Posts
The blog written by the staff of Architectural Record
View all blog posts >>
Recently Posted Reader Photos

View all photo galleries >>
Reader Commented / Recommended
Most Commented Most Recommended
Rankings reflect comments made in the past 14 days
Rankings reflect votes made in the past 14 days

 print this page  |    e-mail this page  |  subscribe  |  newsletter
Ecoms House

Saga, Japan
Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop

Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop develop the unique Ecoms House as a kit of aluminum lattice parts


Photo © Shin-Kenchiku
   

By Naomi Pollock

Japan, the birthplace of the tatami mat, has a long history of modular building. For centuries, the dimensions of these straw pads have dictated the size of rooms, walls, and windows. Picking up where traditional carpenters left off, Yokohama architect Riken Yamamoto has designed a prefabricated aluminum construction system. Ecoms House is the system’s first residential prototype. Developed at the request of SUS Corporation, a manufacturer of aluminum precision machine parts and furniture, the house is located in Saga Prefecture on Kyushu, at the southernmost tip of the Japanese archipelago.

Situated next to the SUS factory that was also built using Yamamoto’s prefabricated aluminum technology, the house is a 24-by-24-foot cube made from a kit of parts based on a 4-foot module. Each of its four sides is composed of 34-foot-square, 4-inch-thick panels, some transparent, some opaque, and some glass-covered-aluminum lattice that are a little of both. The framework of metal crosses is not only the system’s signature element but also functions as a structural support, holding the entire building without sacrificing light and view.

Intended to demonstrate the system’s flexibility—it is equally suited to residential and commercial applications—the prototypical house contains two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a storage space on the ground floor; a kitchen, dining area, and workspace on the second. The two floors could be easily flipped for an owner who prefers an office at grade.

Want the full story? Read the entire article in our July 2005 issue.
Subscribe to Architectural Record in print, or get Architectural Record digitally

the People

Owner
SUS Corporation

Architect
Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop
Takamizwa Bldg. 7F 2-7-10
Kitasaiawai, Nishi-ku Yokohama
Japan
T: 86 45 323 6010
F: 86 45 323 6012

Riken Yamamoto, Naoko Kawaguchi, Jinyu Tei, Miki Matsuda

Engineer(s)
Structural:
Iijima Structural Design Office

Mechanical:
Sogo Consultants

Consultant(s)
Graphic sign:
Hiromura Design Office

Contractor
Fujisash, Koga Corporation, Kyowa Kensetsu Kogyo, Oki Wintech, T2 Glass Construction, Sakaeya, Gantan Bearty Industry

construction Manager:
Kei Sekkei

Aluminum fabricator:
SUS Corporation

Photographer(s)
Shin-Kenchiku
86 3 3811 7101
Koichiro Otsuka

the Products

Structural system
Aluminum lattice panel system

Exterior cladding
Aluminum panel, double glass

Roofing
Membrane

Windows
aluminum window

Glazing:
Glass:
double glass FL3+A6+FL3

Doors
Entrances:
aluminum door, glass door

Interior finishes
Ceiling:
aluminum

Wall:
aluminum, glass

Floor:
Carpet

Furnishings
Chairs:
Aluminum

Tables:
Aaluminum, glass

Lighting
Interior ambient lighting:
fluorescent light

 

ADVERTISEMENT
Special Subscription Offer: Get Architectural Record Digital Free!

 print this page  |    e-mail this page  |  subscribe  |  newsletter
© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
All Rights Reserved