Modern architecture and engineering now allow designers to come up with blueprints that weren’t possible in the past. With an understanding of material strength and the latest construction techniques, we have the Culvert Guesthouse by Nendo. True to the namesake, it features a stack of tunnels that combine to create a unique building.
This is an ideal expression of minimalism as you can observe from the simplicity of its plan. You won’t find any curves here as the Culvert Guesthouse goes for a purely geometric motif. Nendo shares the layout which shows a total of five passageways – four of which form the main structure, with one detached.
A flat roof provides shelter for the negative space below. It may not be immediately noticeable in the images, but glazing covers the open sections. This area functions as a living and dining room. You’ll also notice that there are no metal frames. Instead, the high-transparency glass panels are set into grooves akin to that of shoji screens.
Nendo notes that each precast concrete box culvert weighs about 12 tons and 63 of these are in use. Every intersecting part of Culvert Guesthouse is securely braced to reinforce it against earthquakes. The longest, detached, and larger top-most volumes function as storage rooms for furniture, artwork, and other products.
Meanwhile, there is a compact bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, toilet, and a study available as well. The exterior and interior surfaces of the Culvert Guesthouse stands are white. The gravel floor flows seamlessly from the outside and inside, while resin fixes the aggregates in place. Nendo hints that future renovations might add more sections as their collection grows.
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Images courtesy of Nendo
