4x4 house case study

4 X 4 House

Upon reviewing the techniques that Tadao Ando employed to design this house, the most striking aspect in its appearance is the configuration of the four floors that form the structure.

Once the first house was finished, a second customer asked Ando to build a similar house in the neighboring site. With this second order, the architect was able to complete his original idea of the two houses, but with no communication between them as he had previously thought.

The taut cement surface, perforated with the anchors of the formwork, envelop the house and represent all that is associated with the way Ando builds. The western facade is interrupted by four thin vertical windows that light up the stairway behind it (the pivot of the building) and are randomly associated with three other smaller openings.

The eastern facade has three smaller square openings, while on the ground floor one can see a vertical window like those included in the western front. To the north is the entrance, above which is a rectangular window, while to the south there are two more windows of different sizes that correspond nicely for the second and third floors. Crowning the whole volume is a cube dominated by glass. This top floor protrudes slightly to the east in contrast to the rest of the building.

The whole building represents a series of surprises, from the entrance, which is on the opposing facade, to the strange yet functional windows that adorn the otherwise somewhat bleak facades. The entire composition is of course dependent on the small plot size of 4 x 4 meters and relies on the glass cube that crowns it to define its distinctive character.

The building move the stairway from its axis so the four floors (and basement) would lead up to the two-storey living space. This way, the stairwell, after leading up through the first two floors consisting of cement (with the bathroom and bedroom, respectively), leads to the third floor with its generously glazed study and the top floor, a living space with views of the sea.

Ando has created a viewpoint that allows the gaze of anyone in the building to wander in just one direction - toward the see - while the structure's walls become the frame of the picture.

Over the expanse of the inland Seto Sea you can make out the silhouette of the island of Awaji, epicenter of the disastrous earthquake of 1995 that inspired Ando's conclusion that building these houses on the edge of the beach could also serve as monumental monoliths or totems without any specific attribution.

The perspective here is dominated by the bold profile of the Akashi bridge, a famous feat of Japanese engineering and a source of considerable national pride. It is this landscape that the house faces - where the conflict between nature's violent outbursts and our modest conquests over nature's elements continues to play out - and it is this view that Ando requires all visitors to behold.

All our texts and many of our images appear under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike License ( CC BY-SA ). All our content is written and edited by our community.

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House 4x4, Kobe

• Typologies House  Housing 
• Material Concrete 
• Date 2001 - 2003
• City Kobe 
• Country Japan 
• Photographer Mitsuo Matsuoka 

It was a magazine for men that paired the client with the studio in the case of this singlefamily house built in the Japanese city of Kobe. The invitation asked readers to submit a brief outline of their ideal home on a postcard. If aside from this they ensured being able to comply with the budget for its construction and had a piece of land to call their own, the publisher would get in touch with renown architects. It was above all this last requirement, materialized on a plot right by the water, directly across to Awaji island and by Akashi Strait Bridge (the largest hanging structure of the country) that had a greater influence on the final project design.

The house is shaped as a tower with a squared floor plan (4 by 4 meters) and it rises in remembrance of the earthquake that in 1995 devastated the area and which remains alive in the memory of the people. The client wanted his home to be able to adapt to the foreseeable changes that sooner or later would take place in his life (the owner is a 31-year-old bachelor), so it was decided that the rooms would have no fixed elements in order to be able to adapt to different purposes. From the buried concrete base, used for storage, emerge the four heights of the cube that form the dwelling: an entry-level foyer, a bedroom on the first floor and the study on the second; the third level is a 4-meter cube jutting out with respect to the general floor plan, where the living room, dining area and a kitchen attached to the staircase wall are located. This final projection of over one meter highlights the building’s viewpoint character: the facade that looks out to the sea is a glazed pane divided into four parts by crossedsteel mullions, affording a periscopic sight of the faraway views; on the opposite side of the cube, a large clerestory frames a patch of sky, which is transformed inside the house into a painting of changing shades.

The tower, of 13,4 meters in height and barely any openings (except for the aforementioned) manages to muffle the nearby noises of the road traffic and the train. The floor is finished in oak wood, whereas the interior walls combine exposed concrete and plasterboard. The calm view of the sea floods the rooms, while the opportunity of enjoying the beach, on summer days, is possible thanks to a concrete platform which goes from the house to the beach. A horizontal extension towards the sea has already been designed, in the hope that in the future, the building code changes may allow its construction... [+] [+]

Arquitecto Architect Tadao Ando

Colaboradores Collaborators Masataka Yano, Tatsuhito Ono

Consultores Consultants Naoto Kashimoto, Ascoral (ingeniería engineering ); Takao Mizogushi, Shinmei-Jyusetu, Shinji Ishii, Kurozumi (instalaciones mechanical and electrical engineering ); Julie Bargman, DIRT (paisajismo landscaping ); Mahadev Raman, Arup (climatización climate control concept )

Contratista Contractor Nakata Construction

Fotos Photos Mitsuo Matsuoka

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4×4 House

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About this building

4×4 House, designed by Tadao Ando , is located at Tarumi-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. It was built in 2003.

It is built on a 65m2 lot with a footprint of 22.56 m2.

If you want to learn more about the 4×4 House, don't hesitate to check the full article ! Were you'll find a lot more information about it, including historical context, concept development, type of structure and materials used, and more.

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15 Projects by Tadao Ando

A professional boxer, a self-taught architect, and Pritzker prize winner Tadao Ando uses concrete, light, and ventilation as his major design tools. He learned a lot about architecture by traveling.

” The use of water in my architecture is an attempt to bring to bear a spiritual dimension which is directly related to the Japanese thought of tradition.”

He tries to inculcate the social demands of contemporary times at the same time preserving continuity with the past or with the cultural climate and traditional environment of a region. Ando’s poetic dimension of silence should be understood as an art of building that is outstanding in design, unified in concept, and relevant to the future.

Here are 15 notable projects by Tadao Ando.

 1. Azuma House, Osaka,(1975-1976) | Tadao Ando

Also known as the Sumiyoshi row house, it has a rectangular plan divided into three parts with rooms at the front and back, connected by a bridge, through the courtyard dedicated to the play of wind and light. Composed of an austere geometry and a solid concrete facade towards the street, it has no openings on the side walls.

He proposed a new lifestyle in co-existence with nature along with individual privacy. His objective, he says, was to challenge the inertia that has invaded our everyday lives.

2. Koshino House, Ashiya City, (1890-1981), (1983-1984)

The Koshino house consists of two parallel rectangular concrete boxes connected by a tunnel under the exterior staircase. The boldly curved study area was a later addition further complementing the space.

The house is such manifested that it does not hinder the existing natural setting as it is partially buried in the ground and has a commendable play of lights and shadows through various apertures in the walls and ceilings to create “ architectural landscape ” as he puts it.

3. Rokko Housing I, II, III, Kobe, (1981-1983), (1987-1993), (1997-1998)

The site was at a slope of 60 degrees, at the edge of the Rokko Mountains in Kobe. The idea was to create and strengthening the relationship between natural, public, and private spaces.

The first-phase complex is a 3D grid with 20 apartment units that step back on the hillside, using the roofs of lower levels as terraces.

The second complex based on the vertical overlapping of square grids has created unexpected views. Three types of gardens respectively private, communal, and the public in nature are provided in order to generate various communal relationships.

The third phase is a large project with the communal spaces between buildings designed as crisscrossing plazas.

4. Church of Light, Osaka, (1999) | Tadao Ando

It consists of a rectangular volume of three cubes punctured by a wall at a 15-degree angle that never actually touches the other walls or ceiling of the chapel. It is an architecture of duality – the dual nature of existence. The cruciform cut on the eastern wall allows light to enter the darkness induced by the use of concrete.

The church designed by Tadao Ando is a remarkable example of the architecture of minimalism creating a humble abode of peace and tranquillity.  The use of concrete and the effect of light is so well thought that it stimulates the user to forget the outside world, giving a sense of oneness within the society.

5. Museum of wood, Hyogo, (1993-1994 )

The museum is shaped like a truncated cone, enclosed with a circular pond in the middle of the timber pavilion, over which runs a suspended bridge, which takes the visitors inside.

It celebrates the relationship between humankind. “The flashes of light coincide with the close proximity of extinction: the object appears and takes the form at the edge between light and darkness,” he says.

6. Suntory Museum and Plaza, Osaka, (1992-1994)

The building consists of an overturned truncated cone volume intersected by solid bodies rectangular in shape. It houses an art gallery, a 3D IMAX cinema, several shops, and a restaurant. The walkway that surrounds the area, as well as the lobbies that overlook the space, allows us to clearly perceive the curvature of its volume.

It rests on the Mermaid Plaza featuring a series of pedestrian paths, ramps, and stairways and a semi-circular amphitheater allowing a close relationship with water being a daily part of our life. With this project, he once more worked on his favorite subject: the relationship between man, nature, and architecture.

7. Sayamaike Historical Museum, Osaka, (2001)

The structure is partially buried underground aligned with the gradual slope of the site. Following a path along the waters of Sayamaike, lined with cherry blossom trees, visitors pass a wall of rough granite blocks to arrive at a concrete plaza with cascading waterfalls and pools.

Tadao Ando decided to integrate the surrounding environment into the architecture, to create a place appropriate to the history that Sayamaike embraces, where the environment itself becomes a museum, as he said.

8. Pulitzer Foundation for arts, Missouri, (2015)

It is the institution that calls itself “a sanctuary for the ever-evolving experience of art”.   Through carefully composed windows and a central water court, the building is suffused with natural light, inviting the outside world into dialogue with art and architecture.

It was built in 2001 and later additions in the form of   galleries in the building’s lower level, are overlooking and looping the signature water feature with the aim of improving visitor movement, were done in 2015.  The use of Concrete and wood is more prevalent, giving the new galleries the calmness and serenity Ando was striving for.

9. Water temple, Hyogo, (1999)

It has a passageway that divides a pool of water filled with lotuses: a symbol of Japanese tradition, in symmetrically two parts. The stillness of the water has a meditative effect and perhaps implications of spiritual cleansing.

The staircase in the passage with whitewashed walls leads to the sanctuary where the Amida Buddha statue resides. The central sanctum is all red-orange in color creating an aura of its own. This Japanese temple designed by Tadao Ando is an extraordinary example of the radically changing Japanese temple architectural style.

10. Awaji Yumebutai, Hyogo,(2000)

It consists of the International Conference Center that is surrounded in greenery, the Westin Awaji Island that offers rest and relaxation, restaurants and shops with a very close connection to nature, the Observation Terrace, Oval Forum and Circular Forum. It also includes the Kiseki no Hoshi Greenhouse, and outdoor theatre and Koryu no Tsubasa Port, which serves as the entrance from the sea.

It is a one-of-a-kind “environment creation” project equipped with facilities that blend in with the magnificent landscape that takes advantage of a dynamic slope.

11. 4×4 house, Hyogo (2003)

These are a pair of houses designed by Tadao Ando, based on a composition of plot size of 4 x 4 meters and the glass facade that adorns it to define its distinctive character.

They were built on a site very close to the epicenter of an earthquake. By creating a pair of similar structures, whose doors open toward the sea, but constructed from contrasting materials, concrete and wood, the connection of the architecture with the place is reinforced.

12. Naoshima Contemporary art Museum & Annex, Naoshima, (1995)

Located on a slope of a hill, the complex is divided into three sections. Immediately above the sea level lies a terrace gallery and above it the museum, hotel, restaurant, cafeteria, and lecture rooms. A small cable car leads to the annex arranged around an oval artificial pool.

The silence of architecture promotes the experience of living with nature. The design is based on the models of simple, symmetrical constructions.

13. Japan Pavilion Expo, Spain, (1992) | Tadao Ando

The pavilion aimed to acquaint people in the rest of the world with the traditional aesthetics of Japan based on unadorned simplicity, by reinterpreting wood architecture with leading-edge contemporary technology and create a building that embodied tradition and modernity, technology and culture. This pavilion was designed by Tadao Ando and constructed with materials, skills and workmen gathered from the United States, Europe, and Africa.

14. Fabrica research Center, Italy, (1993 to 1995)

The complex was a restoration of a Villa, which included the creation of study areas, laboratories, offices, facilities such as a library and auditorium, a cinema, meeting, and refreshment areas. The auditorium’s curved, bare concrete wall projects from the outer facade; towards the inner portico a large opening offers a view over the courtyard and the large pool on both sides of the new access path to the smaller barchessa.

Because of their particular character and dimensions, the transit areas play the role of both halls and galleries, waiting for areas and “places for communion and communication between people, history or nature”, said Tadao Ando.

15. 21 21 Design Sight Museum, Tokyo (2007)

Built-in collaboration with fashion designer Issey Miyake, it features a steel roof inspired by his “A Piece of Cloth” concept, which explores the relationship between the human body and clothing. The split-level building with glass walls is meant to act as a space for the examination of how design impacts daily life.

Working from the theme of an architectural design rooted in with nature, the main structure is underground creating a graceful space above ground.

Sakshi Agrawal, a thorough enthusiast and an architecture student, she has a fascination for exploring the diverse Indian art, culture, food, people and places and their relationship with the architecture of a space. She is happy go lucky, fond of reading, sketching and a lot of coffee.

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Midcentury Icon: L.A.’s Famed Smith House Hovers on the Market for $3.5M

Only a few years after it underwent a meticulous renovation, the legendary Smith House in Los Angeles is back on the market—this time for $3,495,000.

The midcentury modern home, perched on a hillside, was last traded in 2019 for $2.3 million.

Its clean lines and gravity-defying construction have landed the steel-and-glass pavilion in numerous design publications over the years.

The house sits on a 9,680-square-foot lot in Brentwood’s Crestwood Hills area and measures a modest 1,550 square feet. That makes the price per square foot a hefty $2,255.

This sleek abode features two bedrooms, two baths, and generous decks that overlook the local hills, the city beyond, and the Queen’s Necklace strip of the Santa Monica shoreline.

(Realtor.com)

The chic home was built in 1958 by prominent modernist architect Craig Ellwood , who was known for his striking, steel-and-glass designs. He’s responsible for drafting the Rand Corporation’s headquarters in Santa Monica , the arresting “bridge building” spanning an arroyo at Pasadena ’s ArtCenter College of Design, and several Case Study houses . Ellwood died in 1992 at the age of 70.

The home’s recent restoration was spearheaded by Ellwood associate James Tyler , according to the listing.

The main living area is contained in a wing that dramatically cantilevers more than 25 feet over the hillside. At night, it appears to be floating in the air—it’s what has made the Smith House famous.

Its interiors are highlighted by minimalist aesthetics and right angles, floor-to-ceiling glass walls, and a double-sided fireplace set in a brick wall that divides the hovering living room from the dining area and kitchen.

That sophisticated cook space has been refinished with a breakfast bar and top-of-the-line, stainless steel appliances set in warm-wood counters and cabinets that match the paneling in the rest of the house.

Be forewarned, though: This is not the ideal house for those suffering with vertigo. But for those who want to feel like they’re hovering over the city while watching TV, this could be the ultimate abode.

Still not sure if you want to make the full commitment? You can try before you buy. The Smith House is also available for lease, at $11,495 per month.

• For more photos and details, check out the full listing.
• Homes for sale in Los Angeles, CA
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Lisa Johnson Mandell is an award-winning writer who covers lifestyle, entertainment, real estate, design, and travel. Find her on AtHomeInHollywood.com

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Chhavi House / Abraham John Architects

• Curated by Clara Ott
• Architects: Abraham John Architects
• Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2018
• Photographs Photographs: Alan Abraham
• Gross Built Area:  710.0 m2
• Plot Area:  280.0 m2
• Client:  Praveen Sankhla
• Design Team:  Abraham John, Alan Abraham, Anca Florescu, Niranjan Fulsundar, Prachi Donde, Neha Gupta
• City:  Jodhpur
• Country:  India

Text description provided by the architects. The challenge of designing a residential villa in Jodhpur was trifold: extreme climate, small footprint and a large project brief. The house also needed to be and is Vastu compliant – conforming with the ancient Indian design principles regarding space, sunlight, flow and function.

The plot was a restricted one within a society scheme, encumbered by the existing adjoining buildings along its compound walls on two sides, and two roads along its north and east sides. Hence, there was a need to create privacy, through orientation of the views, screens and courtyards, as well as through landscape design. The little gardens, decks, waterbodies, sculpture court, sky lit balconies and terrace gardens were all designed to enhance its spatial feel.

The floating steps make an inviting entrance, the lighting and landscape add to the sense of arrival. As one walks towards the main door, one can pause on the bench and enjoy the soothing sounds of the cascade The first impression created is that of space and privacy. The imposing wooden doors, double height volumes and projections that are reminiscent of the many palaces, forts and temples set in the stark landscape of the Thar Desert.

The architects conceptualised an open dining and living area. The living area is a double height area with the ceiling continuing through from the inside to the outside; it’s L shaped openable windows connecting it to the courtyard and waterbody.

The Kitchen doors completely slide open onto the dining room as per the occasion. The dining, kitchen, living and garden form a public area that looks very different at night, with mood lighting and a waterbody, landscape and a beautiful, authentic & traditional wooden sculpture.

In a city where temperatures routinely exceed 40 degrees Celsius, the filigree screen is both functional (protects from the sun and offers some privacy) and aesthetic, a reminder of the traditional jalis of the region. It looks spectacular at night, and during the day it cuts down the heat and glare while reflecting on the windows.

From the first landing you get a feel of the double height, of the expanse and a new angle to the screen which gives the villa its character: combines the past (jalis) with a feeling of modern, clean lines. The two ground floor bedrooms display concealed doors to the attached bathrooms, for a clean look. One of the bedrooms opens onto a deck and garden, while the other has a sky lit private deck to augment its sense of space.

The two bedrooms on the 1st floor have a common landing (box look hovering over the dining room). The master suite is complete with a large bedroom with two seating areas; there is a sky lit green area with a cosy bench seating, a dressing area and a large spa-like bathroom; another seating area overlooks the private terrace that invites lots of birds and is meant for relaxed mornings.

The temple is a projecting mass over the courtyard, the screen filtering light and achieving the required privacy. The media room on the 2nd floor spills onto a big family terrace; there is a pantry looking onto another terrace, a bathroom, and a big lobby. A full height sliding door can turn the media room even bigger, by taking in the lobby.

Accommodated within are parking areas on the ground floor as well as naturally lit office and utility spaces in the basement. Local Jodhpur stone was used on the entry steps, water bodies and compound walls. The outdoor textured stone plaster finish matches the colour of Jodhpur stone and is used on some of the indoor surfaces as well, to add to the overall outdoor feel and look.

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Norman Foster and his High-tech Architecture

Diebedo francis kere- first african to win pritzker architecture prize, thomas heatherwick – fascinating architect, oscar niemeyer- hero of the modern architecture, chichu art museum: portrayal of japanese brutalism, biomimicry architecture: eastgate centre – harare, zimbabwe, vastu direction for home, top 10 fabulous wooden structures in the world, 10 upcoming futuristic projects in the world: a glimpse into architecture…, architecture of indian cities: top 10 cities for architects., are the skins of larger buildings prefabricated, what is 3d printing technology how it is used in architecture, the best designing software that every architect must use, best laptop for architecture students in 2021, 5 representations of technology in the world of architecture, unveiling the essence of architecture: a comprehensive exploration, architecture juries – 10 things to remember before them, top 20 architecture colleges in the world, top 20 architecture colleges in india, top 20 architecture colleges in canada, cept – school of architecture: the school of learning not for teaching.

CEPT- the School of Architecture is how it was started. Their first project done by the Ahmedabad Education Society with the help of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Government of Gujarat, and the Ford Foundation in 1962. And then they established further academics like faculty of planning, technology, design, and management. The school and the other academics came under the CEPT University in 2005. Until then it was affiliated under the Hemachandracharya North Gujarat University from 2002 to 2005.

Case Study of CEPT

Planning of cept, studios of cept, landscape at cept, library of cept, design philosophy of cept.

• Architect: Balakrishna. V. Doshi
• Funding: The Ahmedabad Education Society
• Aided by: The Ministry of Human Resource, the Government of Gujarat and the Ford Foundation
• Established: 1962
• Floors: 3 with multiple levels
• Floor Area: 700.15 sq. m (Faculty of Architecture)
• Site Area: 12.5 Acre
• Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Among the congested heavy traffic city buildings of Ahmedabad, the college lies as one among the educational buildings in one corner and is 3.1km away from IIM Ahmedabad.

Being an architect, I have always questioned myself about what is architecture about. After visiting this place, I have realized that architecture is all about learning. Being designed under the guidance of the Pritzker prize-winning architect B.V. Doshi no wonder it is one of his masterpieces. The block is designed with the intention that architecture is about learning rather than teaching. Also, the planning makes us feel confusingly interesting by playing with different levels on the campus. So the lawn in front of the block with a hilly look is used for public interaction. The main concept of the block is to make interactive spaces instead of just making classrooms and studios.

The major compliment of the building is it is still evolving. Its main concept is open, simple, and interactive. The building is largely opened to outer space to provide interaction among the students of different classes. The building has a simple look which is the main theme to provide low-cost construction with a high-quality environment. As we said before the building has more interactive space to give the space to learn more things among the students.

Also, Read: Salk Institute – A Louis Kahn Masterpiece

The building is built with a load-bearing structure with 750mm thick cross walls. While the beams of the slab run through the east-west direction the partition walls run through the north-south direction. Without any ornamentation, the surface of the building contains exposed bricks and concrete. Not many materials were also used. There are just bricks, concrete, wood, mild steel, and glass were used in the construction. Also, these construction components provide thermal comfortability to the built environment. The thick walls provide heat insulation to the interiors of the building.

Spaces of CEPT

The basement is mainly a multipurpose area. The students play and interact with each other in this space. As they don’t have any hindrance in between they can use for cultural activities too.

With a large opening to the outer space, the studio is abundantly filled with light during the day. There are panels on the walls which help the students to put up their works and explain them. Every studio of different classes is in different levels which metaphorically speaks about the level up for the different years of the classes. The classes are of double heights with wide openings giving high ventilation to the studios.

There is an open courtyard in the center that connects the library, studios, art exhibit, and workshop. It also plays a major interactive space with a play court on one side and also pavements in the outer which connects every block.

Also, Read: Habib University- Design A Learning Community

There are trees surrounding the campus which provide a perpetual changing pattern of light and shade. Also, the blocks interconnect through brick paving and terracotta tiles. However, the varying levels are maintained by steps in between which itself becomes the common interactive space. Also, at one side of the courtyard, the sky is covered by clothes that are connected by strings below where the students play outdoor games.

The interior design by the students’ creative ideas is hanging from the roof and the walls. There is also a play with light and shadow, especially in the corridors. Some places receive direct sunlight while some places receive no sunlight at all.

The outer of the library is made of the changing walls which can be turned and opened. Thus, the view from the inside of the library would be pleasant to feel the natural light and shadow. However, the library doesn’t contain brick walls for the outer side. They are actually made of concrete which is also exposed. The library does not have any windows because the outer walls themselves act as one. This block was constructed only later.

The stairs at the rear side of the main building also give us an interesting pattern where there is a basement lead under the staircase. Also, those surprise staircases lead to the first floor of the main building. Moreover, the staircase is constructed completely with reinforcement.

The main aim for the architect is to produce better architects for society by not just recruiting highly qualified teachers but also providing a better environment to learn. However, the major difference between other colleges and architecture colleges is that the students of architecture have to stay in their blocks and work for 24hrs of the day too. Hence much care is to give while designing a school for architects. They have to be provided with recreational space, interactive space, and workspace combined together. We the architects are the people working in art combined with science. Hence, we are partial artists. The art should not teach in a closed non-creative environment made of just white boxes. However, there is art in every artist which should be fed every time.

In addition, the three texture walls, exposed façade, and the interiors, varying floor levels, interactive spaces, open courtyard, and beautiful lawns everything gets combined to give us a beautiful workspace for the students of architecture. No wonder Sir B.V. Doshi is one of the legends.

Also, Read: Aranya Art Center

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