The Curtain Wall House , 1995 by Shigeru Ban

The Curtain Wall House, Tokyo, Japan 1995

By Shigeru Ban of the Shigeru Ban Architects 

Photos Curtesy of Google Images, MoMA  and Archinect counterparts.

       

Celebrated Japanese Humanitarian, Activist and Architect Shigeru Ban recognized as the “Paper Architect” for designing paper structures of recycled cardboard tubes for house disaster victims. Ban, born in August 5^th, 1957 whom still is currently involved in efficiently building emergency shelter from 1996 Rwanda and even fundraised for other devastating Global Natural disasters. Ban, a student of the late John Hejduk who was the eldest Modernist of the “New York Five”, the predominant top five Architects of the East formerly the “Greys”.

  Shigeru’s 1995 Minimalism Design for the photographer was to reflect his (Client’s) lifestyle; defines Ban’s bold approach of incorporating Japanese Tradition with use of contemporary style art form in Architecture while reinforcing natural light to enhance psychological well-being of its occupants.  

       

The Curtain Wall House stands at 2 stories with three levels of a single family home in a triangular environment that of which literally can be enclosed or completely open and with a large Japanese style curtain or tent-like curtain on the building envelope. Poured and cured concrete to define the structure’s integrity with the North side granting a retaining wall providing sound attenuation while having minimal to full privacy for its occupants , Ban’s design has sliding glass Ban's Curtain Wall house stands out to adjacent Buildings for decades to come. The Curtain Wall House design has a ground level for parking, and studio space, Second level with living room, dining area, closet space and bathroom and the upper third level has three bedrooms, bathroom, second closet space, walkable terrace open area with ability to dine out as you can see the sunlight at all times of the day while sitting at different areas of this design. The Curtain Wall House is designed to have exposed structural support on the building envelope.  I enjoyed looking over this Architect’s work and this house struck me as far as a home one day I can live in.