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Next Generation House from Sou Fujimoto

by on Jan 31, 2011

Check out the Next Generation House by Sou Fujimoto Architects. It’s like a house built with Jenga blocks but it’s actually a small housing module for weekend use located on the edge of a forest overlooking the River Kuma at Kumakura, Japan. The small pavilion, a 4×4 meters cube, is made by assembling solid japanese cedar blocks kept in place by their own weight and connecting metal cables running through vertical drill holes.   

 

Jenga House

 

Some of the inside cubes are laid off-center to create shelves, small living areas and even steps to move from one level to another. Offsets in the wall cubes also create windows with views of the surrounding countryside. Two roof skylights provide extra natural light.

At night, artificial light visible from the outside helps to dematerialize the cube by mixing the warm tones of wood with the amber glow of incandescent bulbs, emphasizing the ways in which a structure made up of heavy wooden elements can seem so light and airy. It’s super functional due to the ramshackle space that is formed by the cedar logs, creating spaces for seating, sleeping, eating, storage, etc.