Project: Memu Meadows Experimental House

Architect: Kengo Kuma and Associates

Location: Hokkaidō, Japan

Function: The architecture of this experimental cabin in Japan was influenced by the traditional “Chise” style of the Ainu people, whose homes typically were built out of bamboo grass in order to insulate the heat from a central fireplace during cold winter months. Kuma’s house replicates this model, upgrading the insulation system with an efficient, light wall system—recycled plastic bottles sandwiched in between two thin membranes—that locks in heat and refracts light from the central fire.  There is no artificial light, Kuma says, because the intent of the home is to synchronize the lives of its residents with the earth’s natural cycle of light and dark. Read more about this project in the Architizer database.

Photos © Kengo Kuma

by James Bartolacci

posted in Money Shot New Projects

tagged ainu, chise, experimental, heat, hokkaidō, japan, kengo kuma, light, memu meadows, snow

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