Shigeru ban

Shigeru ban is one of the japenese minimalistic architecture genius. i particularly like his usage of natural materials such as paper as a building construction material fascinating.

His design philosophy is to create uniquely free and openspace with concrete rationality of structure and construction method.Ban creates entirely new spaces using such materials as paper tubes. He reexamines the existing materials inrecycled forms anduses them in ways no one had ever thought of previously. Thus, he addresses environmental concerns and alludes to the Japanese spiritual preference for natural housing materials.his designs are the ultimate reincarnation of minimalistic architecture. his architecture is much different from tadao ando and john pawsons. he mostly has no walls in his designs.

curtain wall house

this house has a open plan minimal walls and a huge curain wall on the exterior which is the false facade. Ban played with the idea of a glass curtain wall system, and took the terminology quite literally when he decided to envelop the exterior of the house in conventional domestic curtain.
 The curtain that Ban uses drapes over the two story structure and acts as a facade wall when drawn over the structure.

 
Though it may seem that the drapery is hanging freely at the exterior, behind it there is a series of sliding glass doors that provide protection from unfavorable weather conditions, yet still create a feeling of transparency. When closed during the day, the curtain still filters in the daylight into the living areas of the house,traditional Japanese rice paper functioning like the rice-paper screens, alluding toscreens Japanese architecture. When pulled back, the curtain allow the air to enter the interior space freely, and are excellent as a passive cooling mechanism.

 The building is located at the intersection of two busy streets in Tokyo and is raisedabove the street level by columns. Banuses abstract vocabulary of planarelements, such as roofs, walls and floors with minimum enclosure. The only room that is closed off from the public eye isthe bathing area. Though compared withMies Farnsworth House, Ban points outthe difference that where Mieshermetically seals off his building fromthe exterior elements, Ban uses glass to allow visual but not acoustical or thermal exchange, the Curtain Wall House allows complete engagement with all aspects ofits urban context.

                                                           second floor plan

                                                         third floor plan


In the Cutain Wall House, Shigeru Ban employs the idea of an “un-private house”, using the curtain as the only visible separation between the inside and the outside. His idea is alsomanifested in the free plan of building. Without any partitions, spaces and functions can bearranged according to the owners desires. Spaces are very flexible in its use.