Akio Isshiki infuses three distinct functions into wooden house
Akio Isshiki Architects renovates a wooden house near the beach in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture into the designer’s own residence and workplace, as well as a curry restaurant. Within this modest 73 sqm space, the coexistence of three distinct functions creates a unique environment in which notions of time and space, cultural elements, work, and living settings coexist. The design draws from traditional Japanese architecture and employs local materials and techniques while integrating global inspirations.
A noteworthy feature that pays homage to the region’s history of tile production is the flooring, where tiles coat the dirt ground surface. Handcrafted by Awaji’s skilled artisans, these tiles subtly echo the textures and shapes reminiscent of lava stone streets from Central and South American towns. The integration of partitions that resemble mosquito nets and Sudare blinds set against Shoji screens stand as a nod to ancient Japanese architecture. By intertwining spaces both horizontally and vertically, a gentle separation is achieved through the inclusion of native drooping plants. On the second floor, a wall facing the sea displays a scraped texture tinted with red iron oxide, skillfully completed by a local Awaji plasterer. This attempt incorporates vibrant hues of global architecture within a Japanese context. A large window cuts through the volume providing views of the sky and the sea.
the architecture Integrates Original and Contemporary Elements
The harmony of various dimensions introduces a sense of depth into the space. Rather than accentuating contrasts between old and new, Akio Isshiki Architects‘ approach acknowledges historical materials and designs as important parts of the ensemble. The intent is to craft an environment that harmonically fuses both the original elements and newly incorporated features, creating a timeless and contemporary look. Existing structural elements such as pillars and beams blend with new architectural features, while new Shoji screens are layered to allow glimpses through the existing figured glass. A cypress pillar stands atop natural stones giving off a feeling of timelessness. Materials with various time axes are mixed and coexist.
L-shaped windows allow views of the seascape
the kitchen appears overhanging above the atrium
the kitchen area seamlessly flows into the living room
existing Fusuma doors are reused within the interior of the wooden house
A trio of pavilions have been installed on Copenhagen’s waterfront, showing how radical materials and new ways of living might reduce the carbon footprint of housing construction.
From 4 to 1 Planet offers three visions for the home of the future, each created by a different team of architects, engineers and researchers, in the form of a full-scale built prototype.
From 4 to 1 Planet features three proposals for the future of housing. Photo is by Itchy
One demonstrates the potential of rammed earth, a second combines a thatched exterior with a clay-block interior, and a third suggests how homes could be more space-efficient.
They were among 15 SDG Pavilions created as part of the programme for the UIA World Congress of Architects earlier this month, to explore themes relating to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Thatched Brick Pavilion was designed by Leth & Gori and Rønnow, in collaboration with CINARK. Photo is by Kim Høltermand
The three design teams were the winners of the Next Generation Architecture competition, which called for ideas into how affordable housing construction could become more eco-friendly.
The design combined a thatched exterior with a clay-block interior. Photo is by Kim Høltermand
Leth & Gori and Rønnow worked with the Center for Industrialised Architecture (CINARK), a research group at the Royal Danish Academy, on the design titled Thatched Brick Pavilion.
The design aims to show how combining these two materials can offer high levels of insulation and fire safety. Photo is by Kim Høltermand
The structure aims to show how thatch, made from straw, can be combined with porous clay blocks to create buildings with surprisingly high levels of insulation and fire safety.
“We discovered both aesthetic and technical potentials in the combination of these materials,” said Uffe Leth, a founding partner at Leth & Gori.
“If we build tall buildings with these brick blocks, the thatched facades help us with extra insulation,” he told Dezeen.
“That means we don’t need to invest energy and resources on using deeper blocks or two layers of blocks to live up to the building regulations.”
Quarter Pie Pavilion is designed by Tegnestuen Lokal. Photo is by Hampus Berndtson
Tegnestuen Lokal’s design, the Quarter Pie Pavilion, proposes how mass housing can facilitate new approaches to living, as well as new building techniques, to create homes that prioritise quality rather than quantity.
“In order for us to approach a more planetarily responsible building culture we cannot only rely on how we build, but also need to be critical about how much,” said studio founder Christopher Ketil Dehn Carlsen.
“In our opinion even the greenest building materials in the world cannot counteract our current overconsumption of space, which is why we need to make our housing market respond to both demographic changes as well as new and radical co-living alternatives,” he told Dezeen.
The design is accompanied by a list of 10 housing design principles. Photo is by Hampus Berndtson
The prototype was accompanied by a list of 10 key principles, offering a strategy that could potentially be adopted by the entire housing construction industry. Carlsen describes it as “a set of easy-to-apply rules for planetary responsible housing”.
This list advocates for homes that incorporate co-living and other forms of sharing, as well as flexibility.
The concept explores how massing housing can allow for sharing and flexibility. Photo is by Itchy
“Rather than showing one answer to our current challenges, we wanted to pose questions that could generate unforeseen and radical answers,” Carlsen said.
“Our pavilion and its overarching housing concept is just one example, in which we’ve focused on the tectonics of disassembly. But in our opinion, the ruleset itself is the real product of the initiative.”
Natural Pavilion is designed by ReVærk. Photo is by Itchy
ReVærk named its project Natural Pavilion, as it focuses on biomaterials.
One of the aims was to show how these types of materials are not just climate-friendly, but can also improve the sensory quality of a home’s interior.
The structure combines rammed earth walls with a timber structure and wood fibre insulation cassettes. Photo is by Itchy
The structure features rammed earth walls, made using locally sourced clay soil, combined with a timber structure and biogenic insulation cassettes made from wood fibre.
“Construction materials account for about 70 per cent of a building’s carbon footprint,” said Simeon Østerlund Bamford, founding partner of ReVærk.
The design looks at how these materials can improve the sensory quality of a home. Photo is by Itchy
“The answer to that has inevitably always been to look back in order to look forward,” he told Dezeen.
“We wanted to demonstrate how natural low-emission materials and old building techniques can create a new architectural experience, where the materials both provide natural indoor climate advantages as well as great aesthetic qualities.”
From 4 to 1 Planet is on show in Søren Kierkegaard’s Plads. Photo is by Itchy
From 4 to 1 Planet is the result of an initiative spearheaded by Smith Innovation, a Danish research and development consultancy, supported by Realdania and Villum Fonden.
Once the exhibition is over, the pavilions will be relocated to new locations and repurposed.
From 4 to 1 Planet is on show at Søren Kierkegaard’s Plads from 10 June to 11 August 2023. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.
Katata Yoshihito Design shapes Japanese knife manufacturer TOJIRO’s first store in Tokyo as an interactive and informative exhibition space that encapsulates the brand’s quality of craftsmanship. The TOJIRO Knife Gallery is conceived as a multipurpose complex divided into two sections that showcase the product ranges and their context with full transparency. A main gallery space bathed in hues of grey and geometric frames uniformly exhibits the knives along the wall at eye level to maximize the site’s small area and encourage engagement. Meanwhile, a maintenance room equipped with the machinery used at TOJIRO’s main factory allows visitors to explore the technical manufacturing process.
all images courtesy of Katata Yoshihito
spatially translating the knife brand’s values
Spatially translating the knife brand’s values and characteristics, creative consulting and design firm Katata Yoshihito Design’s material palette comprises steel frames, wood wool boards, and corrugated panels to echo those used in TOJIRO’s main factory space in Tsubame City. This is enhanced by the integration of various grey tones which work to spotlight the products themselves while unifying the two divided zones and establishing a sense of cohesiveness.
Designed to house various functions, the gallery’s kitchen studio engages in a clean and sharp aesthetic where visitors are invited to partake in cooking classes and also experience the products first-hand. In the maintenance room, customers can experience a factory-like ambience and learn more about TOJIRO,
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
The Radford Gallery’s debut exhibition brings together a series of work on fringes of design, art and craft that the curator found on Instagram.
Titled Uncommon Found, the exhibition physically showcases work by contemporary makers, artists and designers who usually display their work on Instagram.
Top: a collection of lamps by Amelia Stevens, John Henshaw, Matthew Verdon, Isabel Alonso, Elliot Barnes and Carsten in der Elst were displayed in a fabric-lined room. Above: 19 designers showcased work at the exhibition
“The key part of this exhibition for me had always been for people to see work in real life that otherwise they would only see on their Instagram feed,” said Radford Gallery founder Max Radford.
“When people came to visit the show they would ask if they could sit on or touch the pieces and often seemed surprised when the answer was yes,” he told Dezeen.
A trio of etched furniture by Katy Brett and a piece by Eduard Barniol were placed beneath a print by Ben Dawson
Founded in 2020, The Radford Gallery put out an open call for its debut exhibition, Uncommon Found, after recognising a lack of shows of its kind in London.
“The Gallery came into existence as myself and some Instagram, now real life, friends would be prowling peoples pages looking at all this amazing tactile work being made on the boundaries of art and design but you never got to see it in the flesh, only the perfectly angled Instagram image,” said Radford.
A sand and turmeric painting by Meryl Yana was placed above pulp stools by Nicholas Sanderson
“We knew the work was being made here but there didn’t seem to be the gallery structure to show it, so we decided to do it,” said Radford.
“I was already aware of quite a few artists and designers through Instagram but was also aware that the algorithm would only let me see so much… in order to try and reach as many people as possible, we put out an open call.”
Plank stool by Carsten in der Elst, Dross Table by Rashmi Badisaria and The Snoopy Table by Eddie Olin
The exhibition took place at Hackney Downs Studio in east London and although the work did not share a common theme, the 19 designers presented functional, interactive and sculptural pieces to be physically seen, used and touched.
A four-layered chair by set and furniture designer Jaclyn Pappalardo was upholstered in tones of ecru while Eduard Barniol created a striped-sock wearing, four-legged side table crafted from branches that were stripped of bark.
“I am particularly fascinated by the process behind Rashmi Bidasaira‘s ‘Dross’ Collection where she has been able to use the waste product of steel production to create a new material to make her works out of with the pieces themselves having a beautiful form,” said Radford.
“Also Nicholas Sanderson‘s cardboard pulp-based ‘History of a Future’ series of stools, where the pulp has been coated around a found stool to transform them into ethereal objects.”
A red and orange gingham print by Amy Johnston covers the wall above a wooden console by Lewis Kemmenoe
Shaped like, and etched with ornate imagery from pieces of found porcelain, a trio of plywood chairs by Katy Brett combine the decorative style of the arts and crafts movement with fragmented, primitive forms.
London-based designer, Elliot Barnes presented a collection of steel objects including an orange-hued leather chaise lounge, a rotating half-light and a part-oak smoking perch.
A tubular-legged chair titled Cove Chair by Lewis Kemmenoe
Radford told Dezeen that the title of the exhibition came from an amalgamation of the wide array of works presented at the show as well as the 2013 British Land Exhibition, Uncommon Ground.
“The title for the show is a bastardization of the British Land Art exhibition Uncommon Ground from 2013 by the Arts Council,” he said.
“The show had a profound effect on my own practice at the time and has always been at the back of my mind. ‘Uncommon Found’ seemed like a perfect title to sum up the width and breadth of works we were showing.”
A sculpture by Jean-Baptiste Coulomb
Uncommon Found is the first of a series of cultural collaborations between Max Radford and Hackney Downs Studios.
The partnership stemmed from both Radford and Hackney Down Studios’ shared interest in providing a platform to showcase grassroots and local design talent. Works exhibited in the show can still be viewed by appointment via the gallery.
A stepped sculpture carved from Whitbed limestone by Samuel Collins was placed beside three vases by Tessa Silva
Founded in 2020 by Max Radford, The Radford Gallery aims to forge an honest, democratic and supportive space for makers and emerging artists.
Recently, Olivier Garcé transformed his New York home into a show space for contemporary art and design.
While New York’s Friedman Benda gallery showcased Split Personality, an exhibition that explores the value of design objects.
