Wood Magazine - Issue 3, 2020

Photo: Shigeo Ogawa

The materials and design were chosen in response to the local climate. In summer, the wooden box protects the house from heat, and the cooling effect of the paddy fields means the building has no need for air conditioning.
Photo: Shigeo Ogawa

The materials and design were chosen in response to the local climate. In summer, the wooden box protects the house from heat, and the cooling effect of the paddy fields means the building has no need for air conditioning.
Photo: Shigeo Ogawa

The materials and design were chosen in response to the local climate. In summer, the wooden box protects the house from heat, and the cooling effect of the paddy fields means the building has no need for air conditioning.
Photo: Shigeo Ogawa

The materials and design were chosen in response to the local climate. In summer, the wooden box protects the house from heat, and the cooling effect of the paddy fields means the building has no need for air conditioning.
Photo: Shigeo Ogawa

The materials and design were chosen in response to the local climate. In summer, the wooden box protects the house from heat, and the cooling effect of the paddy fields means the building has no need for air conditioning.
Photo: Shigeo Ogawa

The materials and design were chosen in response to the local climate. In summer, the wooden box protects the house from heat, and the cooling effect of the paddy fields means the building has no need for air conditioning.

Wooden box floats above the paddy fields

Wooden Box Floating in Koshigaya, Japan by Atelier N

Bordering one of Japan’s rice farms stands a home that at first sight appears to float, with the ground floor’s glazed structure and narrow shape reminiscent of a greenhouse. The architects wanted to create anything but the usual wooden design supported by posts and load-bearing walls. The result was a shingled wooden structure in pine, supported by diagonal glulam posts positioned inside the glazed sections.

The materials and design were chosen in response to the local climate. In summer, the wooden box protects the house from heat, and the cooling effect of the paddy fields means the building has no need for air conditioning. In winter, when the sun is lower, the glass admits its warmth into the room to ensure a pleasant indoor climate. The house has also helped to connect the neighbours with the paddy field. The owner, who grew up in the area, can sit and watch the rice being grown in the field, and the people working there can easily pass by, wave and stop for a chat.