A STUDY ON THE ALTERATION OF BUILDING SYSTEM DESIGN AND THEIR SUSTAINABILITY AS SEEN IN KENJI HIROSE’S WOODEN HOUSES

Abstract

Kenji Hirose, famous as the an architect of the SH series, produced several important wooden houses both before and after that period, but many of these no longer exist and not a few of design intent remains unclear. This study traces the alteration of Kenji Hirose’s building system design in his wooden houses by interpreting the original drawings and recreating them in 3D models, examining his design intent in light of the state of housing production at the time. As a result, particular his later works revealed that he was one of the earliest architects to consider the sustainability of wooden houses from the perspective of extending their lifespans, and aimed to revive and apply traditional techniques.