Christian Schittich
ratmeter Wohnfläche organisieren sie dabei vertikal über vier Geschosse, erschlossen über eine filigrane, steile Wendeltreppe aus Stahl. Der ge samte Innenraum wirkt dabei wie aus einem Guss, wozu maßgeblich die Geschossdecken aus nur sieben Zentimeter starken Sperrholzplatten bei tragen. Denn diese Platten mit ihren rohen Ober flächen sind zugleich Fußbodenaufbau als auch die Untersicht der Decken. Das ist ausgesprochen kosteneffizient, darüber hinaus bindet das durchgehend gleiche Material – das auch bei den Einbaumöbeln wiederkehrt – mit seiner gleichmäßigen Farbigkeit den Innenraum über die gesamte Höhe zusammen. Auch Ryue Nishizawa kommt bei seinem Projekt »Garden and House« mit einer Parzelle von weniger als 40 Quadratmetern aus, um etwa die gleiche Wohn- und Arbeitsfläche wie im Small House für zwei Personen zu schaffen (siehe S. 66ff.). Regelrecht ein-
clusion that the Japanese squander energy would be wrong: they spend less per head in controlling the temperature of their homes than Germans. This is partly due to a generally milder climate, but very significantly also due to the much smaller area occupied per person. While a person in Germany or Switzerland demands an average of 46 square metres of living space, the Japanese require only half of this (23 square metres per person, as of 2013). Other cultural habits also play a role here. Although the demand for thermal comfort is increasing on the whole, significantly lower room temperatures, as well as larger temperature fluctuations than those in Europe, are tolerated in Japan. It is for instance not usual to keep the whole house at an agreeable temperature, but rather to heat or cool individual rooms temporarily where necessary. During winter, on average, less than half of the living area of a dwelling is heated for less than half of the day. Air-conditioning units in individual rooms are normally used for heating and cooling, while central heating systems are exceptional. Even the traditional Japanese house, with its open planning and thin paper walls, was more optimised for hot damp summers than for cold winters.
Living in Limited Space
House For Seven People, Tokio 2013, mnm 16
House For Seven People, Tokyo 2013, mnm
“Small House” by Unemori Architects offers the necessary living space for a three-person family on a residual plot area of only 35 square metres. The design organises 67 square metres of living space vertically over four storeys, connected via a steep light spiral staircase made of steel. The entire interior space has a homogeneous appearance, not least due to the merely seven-centimetre-thick plywood panels separating the storeys. The (rough) surfaces of these panels function as both floor and ceiling. Apart from being very cost-efficient, utilisation of the same material with the same colouration throughout – including for the built-in furniture – visually unifies the interior across the entire height of the dwelling. In his “Garden & House” project, Ryue Nishizawa also manages to provide approximately the same living and working space for two people as the Small House, though on a plot of less than 40 square metres (see page 66). Wedged between two highrise buildings, it asserts its architectural presence within a row of existing buildings, as well as offering