block-wall house - nendo

A private residence in Karuizawa, Nagano. Situated along the road lies the distinctive triangular property extending 110m in length. A creative solution was essential in securing privacy from passing traffic and pedestrians, while acting as a foil for basking in the natural surroundings. The approach was to design concrete block walls that would serve as filter screens. The line of sight is orchestrated by adjusting the angles of each block, fine-tuned by overlapping two rows of blocks in some places. In areas with a single row, the view is set in one direction. With two rows overlapping, the view on the other side is visible only when the block angles in the front and back rows align; otherwise, the view is obstructed. The material used for the blocks is “CO2-SUICOM※,” which is made by replacing a portion of cement, with an industrial byproduct and adding a carbon dioxide-absorbing material for less CO2 emissions during production. Approximately 2,050 blocks are staggered in parallel

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• Arielle Lok