Murakoshi indlu by Hiroki Watanabe is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 Umklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award in Ukudizayina Ezokwakha, Izakhiwo Nezinhlaka Competition Category.

IsilivaEzokwakha· 2023

Murakoshi indlu

by Hiroki Watanabe

Client: S Design Farm

Umklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award Winner in Ezokwakha Category

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Colors

The Design

About Murakoshi indlu

Indlu yasemadolobheni ehlanganisa amanzi ezikhukhula ekwakhiweni kwayo. Le ndlu ene-monolithic facade kanye negaraji elihamba nge-drive-through elinesisekelo esiphakeme itholakala endaweni ekhoneni elibheke phezulu okulindeleke ukuthi ligcwale abahamba ngezinyawo. Idizayini ifaka ukuvuleka kwe-planar kanye ne-cross-sectional ukuvumela ukukhanya nomoya kugeleze ngaphakathi ngaphakathi ngenkathi futhi kucatshangelwa ukunethezeka kwabantu nezimoto ngenkathi ziphambukisa amanzi. Lo msebenzi uhlola indlela elula nenengqondo yezindlu zasemadolobheni ezizayo ngokugxila ezinhlekeleleni zemvelo.

The Recognition

About the Umklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award

Murakoshi indlu iwinile uMklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award, ukwaziswa okuhloniphekile ngokungajwayelekile okunikezwa imiklamo esezingeni eliphezulu, ebukekayo nethinta kakhulu. Abawinile beSiliva yimisebenzi egqamile kakhulu nedala kakhulu ebonisa ubungcweti obuphawulekayo, italente nobuhlakani babaklami babo. Murakoshi indlu ilindeleke ukuba ibe ngumsebenzi omuhle wesibonelo, onobungcweti obuphawulekayo nezinto ezintsha ezijulile. Lo mklamo owinile uMklomelo Wesiliva we-A' Design Award uyinto entsha ebonakala kakhulu nethakazelisayo esiza futhi isunduza imingcele yobuciko, isayensi, ukuklama nobuchwepheshe. Murakoshi indlu iyinto enomhawu omkhulu kuyo evusa izifiso, ilethe imizwa emihle futhi ivuse ukumangala nokuxakeka.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: An urban house integrating flood waters into its design.
The house, with its drive-through garage using a high foundation and monolithic facade that takes into account sight lines and sound, was designed to achieve safety and comfort for the client while creating a duality of open public and introverted private living spaces that maintain an appropriate sense of distance from the surrounding environment. This work explores a simple, yet make sense, future urban housing with an eye toward natural disasters.
Dimensions & Packaging: The building use is a private residence for a couple.
The construction type is new construction. The structure is wooden, two stories above ground with a high foundation and a loft. The site area is 73.92m2 and the total floor area is 81.73m2.
Tags: House, Urban, Flood waters, High foundation, Openness, Safety
Production Technology: In order to maximize the building-to-land ratio, a pentagonal plan configuration was chosen to match the site shape, and the cross-sectional configuration of the second floor and loft was selected in consideration of height restrictions, fire prevention regulations, and structural planning.
To minimize the impact on the building in the event of flooding, the first floor was planned with a high foundation.
The space was designed to make the most of the site conditions.
Design Challenge: The Murakoshi House faced the challenge of how to create a safe and comfortable place to live, given its low elevation, the risk of flooding due to its location in a valley, and the dense surrounding area. Considering the effects of recent climate change and rising electricity costs, the key point was how to create comfort, and architectural innovations and facilities were planned to withstand these factors.
Research: In order to reduce running costs and the burden on the global environment, the insulation performance was set to a high level (insulation grade 6), and a level of almost no heating was implemented even in winter by minimizing the number of windows, using a Ua value of 0.37, using heat exchange ductless ventilation, and thorough air sealing measures.
Inspiration: Safety and Comfort from Openness.
The site is a pentagonal shaped site facing a three-way street with a lot of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and adjacent to a waterway that was predicted to flood, making it a complex intersection of various elements. Therefore, we created a three-dimensional openness to the elements of light, wind, people, cars, and water that surround the site, allowing light and wind to flow into the interior and creating an architecture that dodges water while considering convenience for people and cars.
Project Duration: The design period for the Murakoshi House is six months, from November 2020 to April 2021. The construction period is seven months, from May 2021 to December 2021.

The planned site is located in Ota Ward, Tokyo, Japan. It is located on the bottom of a mortar-shaped valley that stretches to the south of Senzoku Ike Pond.
Operation Flow: Murakoshi House faced the challenge of how to create a safe and comfortable place to live, given its low elevation, the risk of flooding in the valley, and the densely populated surrounding area. In addition, taking into consideration the effects of recent climate change and rising electricity costs, the key point was how to create comfort, and architectural innovations and facilities were planned to withstand these factors.
Image Credits: Image #1: Photographer Yasutaka Kojima, Variations, 2022.
Image #2: Photographer Koichi Torimura, Variations, 2022.
Image #3: Photographer Yasutaka Kojima, Variations, 2022.
Image #4: Photographer Yasutaka Kojima, Variations, 2022.
Image #5: Photographer Koichi Torimura, Variations, 2022.