Steps V

｜DATA

• Design: Hirotaka Sato, Shintaro Takeda
• Site: Nagareyama City, Chiba Prefecture
• Use: Private housing
• Scale: Wooden structure with two floors above ground
• Site area: 120.53m2
• Building area: 43.47m2
• Total floor area: 86.94m2
• Structure: Masayuki Takada / RGB STRUCTURE
• Completion: 2012.11
• Construction: MOA+
• Photo: Hirotaka Sato

｜CONCEPT

A two-story wooden house with five floors. A comfortable atrium, easy-to-use underfloor storage, a loft, a terrace, etc. are realized by devising the floor structure.
By making the structure of each floor ambiguous and connecting the floors from the first floor to the rooftop, we created a space with a sense of openness and connection that facilitates communication.
For the outer walls, we used charred cedar, an excellent traditional Japanese material. Roasted cedar has the effect of enhancing insect repellent, antiseptic, and fire resistance performance by making the surface of the wood charcoal. This time, the charcoal is left unbrushed on a plate, which further enhances the effect. Also, leaving as much charcoal as possible prevents the colors from fading over time, and the weathered texture is very natural and beautiful.
A heat pump is used as the heat source for the floor heating, and it is possible to store heat in the building foundation using late-night electricity. A heat pump is about three times more efficient than a heating wire, and by using late-night power, it is possible to reduce running costs. Moreover, from the entrance to the bathroom, there is a heating effect on the entire first floor, making it very comfortable. In summer, it can be used as an auxiliary air conditioner by circulating cold water.