Architects: NKS Architects
Location: Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
Architect In Charge: Noriko + Kaoru Suehiro
Structure: RC+S, 1 story
Area: 293.87 sqm
Year: 2008
Photographs: Kouji Okamoto
This is a clinic situated on the boundary between urban and rural area. A flat single story building with a square roof is harmonized with the surrounding landscape. The 9 small huts with size variation corresponding to the necessary functions of the clinic are settled under the flat roof. Since the center part cannot gain the enough daylight, we made skylight slits between each hut and the roof. The sunlight illuminates the interior space brightly after bouncing on the huts’ roof.
To control the heat gain from the skylights in summer, the heat reflection film and the blinds are installed. Each hut has the independent thin frame structural system made of reinforced concrete, while the flat roof hanged from the huts is made of steel structure. To make the whole structure stable and to control the interior light condition, the 9 huts are turned each other in 90 degrees. Consequently these huts create the settlement like atmosphere. The circulation space and a waiting space became streets and a plaza.