Wooden House, Sou Fujimoto Architects

[gaudali]

...Some projects help the architect to think about the basics. This is more important in these times when, they are questioning their methods, and needs to be done differently to obtain a more eco-friendly and sustainable project...... (http://www.archinnovations.com/featured-projects/houses/sou-fujimoto-wooden-house/)
http://images.sub-studio.com/images/2008/0829jeng1.jpg
Sou Fujimoto Architects (http://www.sou-fujimoto.com/Top/index.htm)

[tresfrijoles]

This project is way too deep for me :rolleyes:

but on the topic of too the basics, in a bit of another light... One thing that I have been interested in is the difference of normal home sizes and functions, from around the world.

For instance, many normal European homes (built in the last 50 or so years) have been built much smaller to those in the US over the same time frame, this is not necessarily caused by economics, but rather by the necessities which each culture seems to need. Estadouienses tend to need more and bigger closets and spaces, in fact their closets at times become their double car garage, their basement, and their attic, along with the spare bedroom. We seem to have more "stuff" worth saving compared to Europeans!, not sure how true that is...

In Nicaragua, many "normal" size predesigned homes (ie. residentials like Bello Horizonte) are built without closets, and others are built with small wooden built-in type closets. Few of these homes are built with real garages, that are just garages and not also the family living room. There also tends to be fewer Bedrooms in the "Predesigned" homes. Other Nicaraguan homes seem to just grow in size as the family grows in size.

Now to look at the combining of cultures that has been happening and the needs is worth looking at, for the sake of keeping ones investment ready for resale for what ever reason you were to sell your home. The current trend in Nicaragua for predesigned homes being constructed, in residential (non-custom homes), is to build a US style home, however many of these fall short of even that, No garages, small "WALKING (yeah, its spelled right) closets" rather than large "Walk-in" closets, no coat closets. Yet, many of these new homes have a large pantry, which at times combines with the maids quarters, which few middle class homes would have in the US. Many of these new homes seem to create a large living space in the house a living, dining and kitchen that flow together and although this is fine, few of these homes are airconditioned, so it just creates a very hot house.

For me, I have been looking for a property or home for the past 6 years, the properties are another issue which for some reasons I would prefer to have so I have a clean slate, but for other reasons can be a hassle as well. I have visited hundreds of homes for sale, few of them seem to be worth buying for several reasons:

1) the homes are poorly laid out

2) the house is too enclosed, when the lifestyle in Nicaragua is more out in the open

3) bedrooms and bathrooms to an excess - one house I saw had 9 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, SERIOUSLY! yet all of them were super tiny, none with closets, and many without a window.

4) poor safety and structure - that also gets back into a bedroom without a window, light is not the only reason why it is good to have a window in your bedroom.

5)...

this list could go on for quite some time, the main thing about this seems to be that people want $$$ for their home that fits their lifestyle and not mine. Since my family is of 2 cultures, Nicaraguan and Estadouiense, we seem to have to create our own new home or completely redo someone elses and pay what they want plus even more to make it suitable to live, theres doesn't seem to be one we can just slip into.

[Jonh]

Jenga!

http://www.phoenixleisure.co.uk/images/857jenga1.jpg