“A Generous Space Beneath a Grand Roof”
A Prototype for a Timber Office and Residence in the City
We proposed a three-storey timber building as a prototype for a combined office and residence in an urban setting. The ground floor accommodates a showroom, the second floor contains offices, and the third floor serves as a residence. Due to the site’s load restrictions, neither reinforced concrete nor steel construction was feasible, making timber the inevitable structural choice. Furthermore, as the site is located within a fire prevention district, the building was required to be constructed as a fire-resistant timber structure.
To unify the building’s three distinct functions and create a showroom that is open to the neighbourhood and cherished by the local community for many years, we developed the concept of “a generous space beneath a grand roof.” Here, “generous” refers not simply to the atmosphere of the space, but to its long-term adaptability: a flexible framework that allows layouts to be changed easily and a wide variety of plans to be realised.
To achieve this generous spatial quality, we proposed a timber moment-frame structure that eliminates the columns and structural walls normally required within the interior of a timber building. Large built-up timber columns and shear walls are concentrated along the perimeter, supporting substantial built-up timber beams. This structural system creates open interiors free from the structural elements that would ordinarily be required within individual rooms, enabling highly flexible planning.
This freedom of layout is expressed differently on each floor. On the ground floor, separate entrances are provided for the residence and office, allowing the remainder of the floor to function as a showroom. The second floor is an office conceived as a single, open-plan space without internal columns or structural walls, offering clear sightlines and an efficient working environment. The third floor contains the owner’s residence, where the volume of the large gabled roof is used to create a high-ceilinged living space with a loft.
The recesses formed between the substantial structural columns along the perimeter are used in a variety of ways, including storage, display shelving, service shafts, and individual work booths. To improve acoustic insulation, the floors are constructed as raised double floors. Timber flooring brings warmth to the interiors, while rooms requiring additional sound absorption are finished with carpet.
To meet the requirements for fire-resistant timber construction, the floors, walls, ceilings, columns, and beams are all protected with two layers of gypsum board, achieving a one-hour fire-resistance rating. In areas where such fire-resistance performance is not required, these additional protective measures can be omitted.
Through these strategies, the project proposes one possible prototype for a timber office and residence in the city. Compared with conventional timber construction, which typically requires columns and structural walls within the interior, this system provides a more generous and flexible spatial framework. Its ability to accommodate future changes in layout makes it a broadly applicable architectural approach—one that can be adapted to a variety of sites and differing conditions.