Continuous Plate House 2.0 is an award-winning project designed by Ryumei Fujiki and Yukiko Sato, famous for their “Aqua-scape” and “Artificial Topography”. The project was honored as the Bronze A’ Design Award Winner in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design Category in 2019-2020 (Italy).

The renovation pertains mainly to the first floor of the 18-year old house and consists of a folded plate, reinforced by a supporting rectangular concrete box. The outer surface of the box is finished with concrete cast in cedar board formwork, providing it with an external wooden texture. In order to further strengthen the design concept at completion, the full interior of the box, which envelops the kitchen area, was given a wood finish.

The mandate of the renovation was to convert the existing kitchen area, which included a breakfast nook and food storage area, into more of a multipurpose, cozy family kitchen. In addressing that mandate, the food storage area and corridors were eliminated, resulting in a wide-open kitchen concept. The wall-mounted sink was replaced with a centered, island-style unit, making it a more accessible and functional part of the kitchen.

A primary focus of the original project, Continuous Plate House 1.0, was to achieve a design that responded efficiently to heavy snowfall. In response to research suggesting that wind patterns would prevent snow accumulation from resting in place, the architects opted for a flat roof without a parapet, which was adopted when the house began construction in 1999.

The original project embraced box-form architecture, which presented a challenge to the 2.0 design in terms of breaking free from that concept. Nevertheless, through trial and error, composition as if the floor, the wall, and the roof were connected continuously and bent into a single plate was obtained.

This is an illustration of the location map of the house. Here you can see the position of the house within its residential block.

This is an illustration of the floor plan of the house showing its two levels and the different sections of the house.

This is an illustration of the detailed east-west section of the house with measurements and positioning for each room and section.

This is a view of the back of the house with a lovely outdoor area just outside of the wide sliding glass doors of the house. This area has a wooden deck flooring before transitioning to the grounds with medium-sized trees.

This angled view of the back features a large concrete built-in table on the side of the house under the window. This can be used for either an outdoor kitchen or an outdoor dining area.

This is a lovely room just beside the living through sliding walls. It has a spacious dark hardwood flooring that contrasts the white walls and ceiling. This lovely room can either be used as a formal dining room or a media room with its proximity to the living room and kitchen.

This is a look at the great room just inside the large sliding glass doors. It has a tall arched ceiling with a unique aesthetic from its architecture. It has a wide hardwood flooring fitted with a sofa.

This great room is fitted with a large L-shaped sectional sofa and a long and narrow wooden coffee table. Next to it is the wooden dining set against the gray wall.

This great room is illuminated by the wide sliding glass doors that lead to the backyard garden.

This is the view afforded by the large sliding glass doors from the vantage of the dining area beside the living room. This showcases the lush landscaping outside that gives a nice background for the neutral tones of the interior.

This is the informal dining area at the edge of the kitchen. It has its own sliding door that opens to the garden of the back and a wall-mounted TV.

This long and narrow area has a rustic wooden tone to its ceiling and walls to match the wooden dining set at the edge of the kitchen.

This is the kitchen with a long and narrow design. There is still enough space for a long and narrow kitchen island in the middle that houses the faucet and sink of the kitchen.

This long and narrow white kitchen island is topped with a row of pendant lights hanging from the wooden ceiling.

Across from the kitchen island is the cabinetry of the kitchen that has enough space for the modern appliances within its wooden structure.

Technical sheet

Completion Date and Location: First built in March 2001, the renovation was completed in August 2019 in Fukui-city, Fukui Pref. in Japan.

Production/Realization Technology: The kitchen area is covered with spruce CLT panels (made in Austria)

Architect: Ryumei Fujiki, Yukiko Sato

Design Firm: F.A.D.S

Image Credits: Hiroshi Ueda, Takeshi Taira

Press Distribution: v2com

About Fujiki Studio

Ryumei Fujiki is currently studying various research focuses at Fujiki Studio at Kogakuin University School of Architecture (KOU::ARC), specializing in environmental and experimental architecture.