Aichi (Aichi Prefecture)
Case Studies
Set up a sofa outside the house. This sense of freedom is wonderful. On the other hand, you have to worry about what to do with the sofas, such as keeping them clean. A roof is still necessary. However, if the light is blocked, the greatest attraction of being outside will be reduced by half. So, if we can adopt glass, we can actually solve almost everything. However, it is not enough to simply adopt glass. Accidents can happen anywhere, anytime, and while 100% protection is not possible anywhere in the world, it is essential to have enough strength resistance to say that it is basically safe. If the glass is too heavy, it may fall, and if the glass is not strong enough, it may break and fall. To achieve a presence that feels secure at first glance, while clearing both of these concerns, a great deal of knowledge is required.
In black metal with a strong presence.
As you can see, the black-finished metal with a strong presence is designed to be a window frame that can also serve as a lattice design. It has been processed to be both strong and light, so that it does not look heavy when you look up from below. Since the outside space is not within a closed space, it tends to be insufficient for anything you place there, but the entire metal creates a solid volume that makes its presence stand out. Naturally, it also serves as a roof, so we paid thorough attention to its strength. As for the finish, it is painted with a zinc anti-corrosion treatment. However, this is not sufficient in the long term, and there is a possibility of peeling and rusting over time. The zinc anti-corrosion treatment (thermal spraying) adds a sacrificial anti-corrosion function with zinc and creates fine irregularities on the surface, which allows the coating to bite firmly and dramatically increases surface strength. High resistance is achieved even when placed in an outside environment.
Clear glass to let in natural light
It is also because it is installed outside that it can enjoy plenty of outside light. The use of glass enhances this effect. If there is a blue sky behind the glass, the black metal will stand out even more. For this project, we were also particular about the choice of glass. Special glass was used to achieve both clarity and robustness. For example, even if a large hailstorm were to fall, the glass would hardly be damaged. Even if it should break, it will not cause serious injury to people below because of its structure that breaks into small pieces. Rather, it will be one of the safest places to gather in this space. This project is a good example of how the function of glass, "to transmit," is used simply and functionally to fulfill its intended use. Because of the seemingly simple structure of latticework and glass, there are many highlights in the ingenuity used to enhance the sense of presence. This project was a great success.
