この建築は、ある大工との出会いから始まった。
昔ながらの腕利きの棟梁で、頭の中のディテールと経験知で家を建てられると言う。木材の加工なら何でもできると言い切るその言葉を信じて、あえて施工の難しい天然の丸太を用いて設計を進める事にした。

丸い柱が並ぶコロネード(列柱廊形式)には、人を惹きつける魅力がある。そこには、規則的に配置された柱・梁・桁が屋根を支える構造美と、シークエンシャルな空間にリズムを与える丸柱の造形美が併存している。古代ギリシャ建築の時代から、人々が集い、市が開かれ、文化活動が営まれてきたこの建築形式を再解釈し、人のふるまいの拠り所となる空間を創ろうと考えた。

この建物は、三重県津市の中心部にある。幼少期から地元で暮らしてきた施主は、時に親戚や友人を招きながら、ゆっくりと自然体で棲まうことを望んだ。そこで、前面道路側には4台分の駐車スペースを兼ねた大きなセットバックを設け、プライバシーの守られた中庭を囲むように諸室を配置した。内周と外周に並ぶ丸太の列柱が支える内勾配のすり鉢状の屋根は、中庭に自然を集める環境装置として機能する。晴れた日は陽の光が築山を照らし、雨上がりには軒先から落ちる雫が水盤の水面を揺らす。屋根を支える放射状の登り梁が中庭へと視線を導き、時間や季節の移ろいを常に身近に感じることのできる家である。

北山杉の天然丸太には、甘皮を剥いた後に表面を火で炙り、やすりをかけて余分な炭を落とし、水洗いしてからクリア塗装をかける、という手間をかけた加工を施している。この操作には、表面を炭化させることで日射による変色や風化から木を守る機能的な役割に加え、自然素材ならではの木目や凹凸、色むらなどを意匠として際立たせる狙いもある。元々は華美な装飾が施された石柱で構成されるコロネードであるが、膨大な手間と時間がかけられた天然素材の丸太には、石の重厚感や荘厳な雰囲気に勝るとも劣らない質感が宿っている。更に、中庭に出る際に手が触れやすい部分の柱に巻かれたラタンや、丸太同士が「ひかりつけ」で取り合う端部の納まりなどを見ても、素材に対して注ぎ込まれたクラフトマンシップを感じ取れるだろう。また、外構の庇や玄関の飾り棚、ライブラリーの本棚など、随所に径の細い海布丸太も用いることで、建築的な要素と身体を近づける工夫も凝らしている。

伝統的な技法で素材の美しさを引き出した日本建築版のコロネード。丸太を基点に緩やかな秩序が生まれる空間の中で、自然と共に生活が営まれていく。

The story of this architecture began with an encounter with a skilled carpenter.
The master craftsman, skilled in Japanese traditional techniques, claimed that he could build a house based on the details in his mind and his experience, even with just a few simple drawings. Believing in his words, which confidently asserted his ability to work with wood, I decided to proceed with the design using natural logs.

The colonnade, lined with round columns, possesses a captivating charm. It combines the structural beauty of the regularly arranged columns, beams, and rafters supporting the roof with the aesthetic appeal of the round columns, which add some rhythms to the sequential space. By reinterpreting this architectural form that has been used since ancient Greek architecture, where people gather, markets are held, and cultural activities take place, I aimed to create a space that serves as a kind of foundation for human behavior.

This building is located in the central part of Mie Prefecture, Japan. The client, who has lived locally since her childhood, desired to live naturally and at ease while occasionally hosting her relatives and friends. A large setback area, serving as a parking space for four cars, is provided in front of the facade, and various rooms are arranged around a privacy-protected inner courtyard. The concave roof, supported by a series of round logs lining the inner and outer perimeters, functions as an environmental device to bring nature into the courtyard. On sunny days, the sunlight illuminates the Tsukiyama, a traditional artificial mound in Japanese garden, while after a rainfall, droplets falling from the eaves ripple the surface of the water basin. The radial climbing beams supporting the roof guide the gaze towards the inner courtyard, allowing the resident to constantly experience the passage of time and the change of seasons.

Each log undergoes a process where the bark is peeled off, the surface is charred with fire, excess charcoal is removed by sanding, and then it is washed and given a clear coating. This treatment serves a functional purpose by carbonizing the surface to protect the wood from discoloration and weathering caused mainly by the sunlight. Additionally, it aims to show the unique design elements of natural materials, such as wood grain, texture, and color variations. While the original colonnade format was composed of ornately decorated stone columns, the elaborately processed natural logs become to have a texture that is no less impressive than the weightiness and solemnity of stone. Furthermore, the wrapping of rattan around the columns, touched when going out to the inner courtyard, and the intricate joints where the ends of the logs interlock demonstrate the craftsmanship dedicated to the materials. The design also incorporates thin logs in various elements, such as the eaves of the exterior, the decorative shelves at the entrance, and the bookshelves in the library, to bring architectural elements closer to a human scale.

In this Japanese architectural interpretation of the colonnade, which draws out the beauty of materials through traditional techniques, a gentle order emerges from the series of the logs, creating a space where life is lived in harmony with nature.