AMIDA HOUSE / アミダハウス

Le Corbusier's "Dom-Ino system" which enable to have maximam floor has spread all over the world. But repetation of the floor divide a space and makes monotonous section. There is a common problem about a small residence, the floor divide the space strongly, and we lose relationship between 1st floor and 2nd floor.

Interior view of building wood structure. Amida House by Kochi Architect's Studio.

On the other hand, Le Corbusier said that the architecuture is three dimentional relationship in "Five points of architecture" . "Pilotis" makes relation to downward, "Free planning" "Free facade" and "Ribon window" makes relation to horizontal space, "Roof garden" makes relation to upper space. but he didn't say "free section". Because "Free planning" and "free section" are opposite concept, as you can see Dom-Ino system.

In the start of this project, I think about "free section" to make three dimentional relationship of the space. I renovated the drawing of Dom-ino with sliding the floor up and down, and with keeping position of post. The section looks like "Amida-kuji" which is very popular lot in Japan. When we draw "Amida-kuji", at first we draw vertical line (post), then we draw horizontal line (floor) freely. That is the same way to design of Amida house. This project began as a renovation of Dom-Ino system.

The site located in residential area in Shizuoka prefecture in Japan. There is the view to Mt.Fuji which is the highest mountain in Japan behind westside neighboring house (H=6.5m). At first I put living floor on 6m hight. 14 floors are studed at randam in a box. Each floor have different function and different hight, dining kitchen, bed room, bike garage, and display space.....etc. Some floors have a view to Mt.Fuji, some floor is conecting to ground, some floor open to sky. Various scenery of space are layered in one space, and It makes a kind of high density scenery of life.

Exterior view of building structure. Amida House by Kochi Architect's Studio.

Explanation for "Detail Section"

There is no wall which divide a space in interior. There is the entrance in the middle of the hight of the box. Public space (Living, Dining, Kitchen, Terrace) are located in upside, and private space (Bed room, bath room) are located in lower space. The guest standing on dinning or living space can not see private bath room. I want to emphasize floors, so I put all structural walls in exterior wall of the box. The thickness of floor is sized down by supporting with thin steel post (45mmx45mm, 1820 span). And top board of closet is covered by the same material of the floor, and sized up to make same appearance as the floor.

Building structure. Amida House by Kochi Architect's Studio.

Location: Shizuoka, JAPAN
Program: residence
Scale: wooden house 2F
Floor: 115.51m2
Site: 187.35m2
Completion: Mar,2011
Design Architect: Kazuyasu Kochi / Kochi Architect's Studio
Structural Engineering: Yukihiro Kato / MI+D architectural structure laboratory.

Idea diagram. Amida House by Kochi Architect's Studio.