The project came to be upon the eifuku-ji temple's need for additional office space and living quarters for the chief priest. japanese practice zai shirakawa architects designed an addition with a slight trapezoidal footprint attached to the existing temple structure. the annex breaks from the timber vernacular and instead utilizes a reinforced concrete system plastered with a locally-sourced stone crushed into an aggregate by the architects, stone workers, and the clients, offering an inherent sense of proprietorship to the project. the rectilinear volume is perforated by 77 square windows in the almost meter-thick outer envelope. each oblique window is placed and sized according to views,programmatic lighting requirements, and solar gain analysis.
An elegant thin roof cantilevers over the monumental structure to help shade from the direct sunlight in the summer. the interior features natural wood floors, exposed concrete elements, and walls plastered in traditional tosa-shikkui stucco, a naturally durable mix of fermented straw and lime which retains a beige tone but turns white over time when exposed to the sunlight. the priest's private living area is separated enough from the social functions, conceived as a quiet cavernous space where they may maintain a private life. the rest of the program includes a lounge, office, nursery and main hall characterized by the unique windows.