Pithouse in Kikuna / atelierco

Pithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Interior Photography, Dining room, Table, Windows, ChairPithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Interior Photography, GardenPithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Interior Photography, Table, Windows, BeamPithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Exterior PhotographyPithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - More Images+ 27

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Pithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Interior Photography, Dining room, Table, Windows, Chair
© Jumpei Suzuki

Confronting the land on which architecture was built - This is the renovation of a wooden building that stands on the site of a shell mound that bears traces of the early Jomon period, about 15,000 years ago. The building was built as a share house (six rooms), but it was sold three years later.

Pithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Exterior Photography
© Jumpei Suzuki
Pithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Interior Photography
© Jumpei Suzuki
Pithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Image 31 of 32
Perspective Section
Pithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Interior Photography, Arch
© Jumpei Suzuki
Pithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Image 30 of 32
Section
Pithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Interior Photography, Beam
© Jumpei Suzuki

Fascinated by the potential of the one-story building (partly two stories) on a hill overlooking Mount Fuji, and thinking about living with the land that contained the shell mound, we lived in part of the building and began to dismantle it, checking its condition every season. It took about three and a half years for the basic design, and six months of full-scale construction while living in a temporary house nearby, and after about four years, we started our new life.

Pithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Interior Photography, Windows
© Jumpei Suzuki
Pithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Interior Photography, Dining room, Beam
© Jumpei Suzuki

The total floor area was reduced from the original 83.86m2 to 56.69m2, but it feels as open as an outdoor grotto. The foundation, which had been lying under the floor, was exposed, and trees were planted by making holes in the moisture-proof concrete. Cold air, the smell of soil, and rain stains come up from under the foundation. The depth from the floor, which we call the hall, to the bottom of each pit varies from about 1.6m to 2.3m along the slope of the front road.

Pithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Interior Photography, Kitchen, Windows, Beam
© Jumpei Suzuki
Pithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Image 29 of 32
Plan

The ceilings, on the other hand, have a series of somewhat decorative curved shapes to emphasize the longitudinal direction. The constraint of renovation work, which is not a zero-start, made me try to practice this kind of living.

Pithouse in Kikuna / atelierco - Interior Photography, Table, Windows, Beam
© Jumpei Suzuki

It has been two months since we started living in the house, and it is now up to us to figure out how to live in it throughout the four seasons. In the future, we plan to plan the installation of the pit over the next few years.

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About this office
Cite: "Pithouse in Kikuna / atelierco" 30 Nov 2021. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/972659/pithouse-in-kikuna-atelierco> ISSN 0719-8884

© Jumpei Suzuki

室内裸露地基,菊奈石坑屋 / atelierco

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