TADAO ANDOKoshino House, Ashiya Group 6 Tutor – Mr. Bryan

Biography

Born 13th September 1941 in Osaka Japan

Ando had many careers including professional boxer, local carpenter

“As it happens work was carried on where I lived when I was 15, and I got to know some of the carpenters. About the same time, in a used book store I saw a book on the complete work of Le Corbusier. I recopied some of his drawings and I would say that that is how I began to be interested in architecture”

Emptiness Within only light and space surround the visitor.

Koshino House, Japan 1980-84

Traits in Tadao Ando’s buildings

Tactility in the use of light and shadowsHard walls seem soft to touch. They exclude then enclose, admitting light, wind and passing visitor, who leaves behind the disorder of everyday existence to be sheltered in a realm of stillness.

Church of Light, Japan 1988 4 x 4 House, Japan 2001-3

Tadao Ando blends together the site and the building.

He does this by incorporating the landscape into the building.

Additionally, Ando makes use of every bit of the site

Chichu Art Museum 2004

Materiality His powerful concrete walls set a limit. Beyond this point there is no passage but that is opened by his will.

• mostly uses concrete, glass and wooden and stone floors

Pringiers in Sri Lanka 2005

KOSHINO HOUSE

Located at the foot of the Rokko Mountains, in Ashiya City, east of Kobe.

Completed in two phases (1980-81and 1983-84).

The Koshino House was originally made up of two parallel rectangular concrete boxes.

In the second phase, a fan shaped extension which now contains the Atelier was added.

One unusual feature of this house is that the visitor approaches it from above, and is fully aware of the plan of the house, if not its specific function from outside.

The design element requires extreme austerity

* Additional curveRenovated in the year1983.

Ground Floor Plan

1. Atelier

2. Living room

3. Bed rooms

The volume closer to six identical rooms, is aligned like Le Corbusier’s monastic cells at Sainte-Marie-de-la-Tourette.

First Floor Plan

1. Study

2. Bedroom

3. Terrace

Brutalism/ Brutal architecture

Asymmetrical Balance

Non separated

Alignment

Scale & Proportion

Unity. Harmony

Pattern-Repetition

Hierarchy

Blending

Principles of Designs Used in the Koshino House

Brutalism Architecture 

It is a movement in architecture that flourished from the 1950s to the mid-1970s, descending from the modernist architectural movement of the early 20th century.

A term used by Le Corbusier  to describe his choice of material.Tadao Ando who is highly inspired from Le Corbusier uses this kind of architecture in a lot of his buildings.

It is raw and without ornamentation

Asymmetrical Balance

Not symmetrical , with the parts not arranged correspondingly identical on both sides of the central axis.

It creates a sense of equilibrium by the arrangement of two sets of forms of different size and shape. In this case the middle staircase acts like the line of symmetry and both sides have asymmetrical balance.

Non Separated

When one structure gives an illusion of being separated yet being connected.

The structure here is separated along the axis in the exterior while connected underground in the interior.

This gives an illusion of separation and yet is connected.

Alignment

When the plan of the design structure has all its elements parallel to each other.

In this case the 2 rectangular blocks are parallel to each other hence its aligned together.

The later addition has one of its sides parallel to the structure too.

Scale and Proportion

The relationship of one part or the whole to an outside measure, such as the human body.

Variation of scale. INTIMATE, IMPRESSIVELY and MONUMENTAL.This is an intimate scale.

The living room and dinning room have a double story height which is balanced by the small area given to the living and dinning area.

Unity. Harmony

A oneness and absence of diversity ; a combination or arrangements and the ordering of all the elements in a work that each contributes to the total aesthetic effect.

This is seen in the interior of the building.

With similar materials and same esthetic value and openings.

Pattern Repetition The repetitive elements in design.

The ordered arrangement of parts into a pattern may occur at various scales at different distances.

This is seen in the interior, the rectangular structure have a sense of repetition room alignment with a pattern of the window opening in one rectangle also shows pattern

Hierarchy

A special importance or significance placed upon or imparted to something; a sharpness or vividness of outline.

Emphasis requires that one idea or design themes be dominant, and is important in achieving unity in design

This idea that dominates is given greater forcefulness through making other features less prominent

Blending

Gradual merging of one thing into another; the process of bringing together into one.

The building blending in with the topography of the surrounding forms a union between nature and the building itself.

Conclusion

All of Ando’s choices in life have shaped him into the Architect he is today.

He challenged the norms as he started his career and today has his own philosophy.

His designs are modern and pure in form and space. Everything he creates is harmoniously in balance though evidently sharp.

He believes that less is more.

Tadao Ando has won many international awards in architecture, which is why he remains one of the world’s leading contemporary architects.

References Allen, K. (2014, September). Spotlight: Tadao Ando. Retrieved from ArchDaily : http://www.archdaily.com/tag/tadao-ando/

Ando, T. (2002). The Spirit of Modernism. (R. Ivy, Interviewer) 2015 Dodge Data & Analytics. Retrieved March 23, 2015, from http://architect.architecture.sk/tadao-ando-architect/tadao-ando-architect.php

Baek, J. (2009). Nothingness: Tadao Ando's Christian Sacred Space. New York : Routledge.

Frearson, A. (2011, September 20). De Zeen. Retrieved from House in Sri Lanka by Tadao Ando : http://www.dezeen.com/tag/tadao-ando/

Furuyama, M. (2006). Tadao Ando. (P. Gossel, Ed., & L. Hoaglaund, Trans.) Germany: Taschan GmbH Hohenzollernring.

Jodidio, P. (1997). Tadao Ando. (A. Pfotenhauer, Ed.) Italy: Benedikt Taschen Verlag GmbH.

Mariana.  (n.a). Koshino House [Online image]. Retrieved March 23, 2015 from http://www.archdaily.com/161522/ad-classics-koshino-house-tadao-ando/

Maya, & Ray, V.  (2013). Koshino House [Online image]. Retrieved March 23, 2015 from http://www.cgarchitect.com/2013/04/koshino-house6

[Untitled illustration of Chichu Museum on Naoshima]. Retrieved March 23, 2015from http://biginjapan.com.au/2010/04/going-underground/

[Untitled illustration of koshino house]. Retrieved March 23, 2015from http://imgkid.com/koshino-house-model.shtml

[Untitled illustration of site plan]. Retrieved March 23, 2015from http://errabundi.net/pf-academic/v/2009summer/bldganalysis/site_plan_2.jpg.html

[Untitled illustration of rentered koshino house]. Retrieved March 23, 2015from http://www.archdaily.com/161522/ad-classics-koshino-house-tadao-ando/koshino5_hoiol/

[Untitled koshino furniture]. Retrieved March 23, 2015from http://www.thenent.com/space/gallery/

[Untitled illustration of fan shape in koshino house]. Retrieved March 23, 2015from http://architecturepastebook.co.uk/post/59692871871/arqvac-koshino-house-by-tadao-ando

[Untitled illustration of Koshino house]. Retrieved March 23, 2015from http://pixshark.com/tadao-ando-koshino-house.htm

[Untitled illustration of Koshino house]. Retrieved March 23, 2015from www.behance.net/gallery/Koshino-House/10250045