Corrugated House

This dwelling was once the home of Kenji Kawai and his wife. They built the house using corrugated pipes — typically used as drainage material in civil engineering — which they repurposed as building material in pursuit of a self-sufficient lifestyle. Kawai, a heat engine specialist before becoming a facilities designer and a researcher of 'total energy theory', continued his energy research at the site after completing the dwelling. He eventually developed a proposal for an urban energy supply system. His theory is based on the idea that the energy cycle should not be self-enclosed but instead interconnected with a broader environmental and social circulatory sphere. This residence was conceived as a minimal prototype of the self-sufficient lifestyle he advocated at the time. Boldly isolated 'from Earth', the dwelling's form is reminiscent of a spaceship that had once landed on this planet. It invites visitors to experience a life independent of the social ecosystem and to disconnect from the mundane daily grind. When considering the type of environment that would help visitors escape their monotonous routines, the designers envisioned a setting that heightens awareness of the overly bright world we inhabit while gently reintroducing the forgotten restorative value of darkness. Red Dot Award: Design Concept | Concept | Interior Architecture and Interior Design