Housenji Temple

Housenji Temple
© Koichi Torimura

HOUSENJI TEMPLE

Meguro Architecture Laboratory

PHOTOGRAPHS
Koichi Torimura

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Runa Setubi

MANUFACTURERS
Toto, Ykk Ap, A&a, Acor, Osmo & Edel, Tomita, Yamagiwa

PLUMBING DESIGN
Kankyo Design A And N

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Mitsuru Hirai, Sayu Yamaguchi

MECHANICAL
Kankyo Design A And N

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
ISGW Co.Ltd.

MECHANICAL AND PLUMBING DESIGN
Kankyo Design A And N

AREA
846 M²

CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES
Yuken Koumuten Co.ltd., Flam Kensetsu

YEAR
2015

LOCATION
Tokyo, Japan

CATEGORY
Temple

Housenji Temple
© Koichi Torimura
Housenji Temple
© Koichi Torimura

Text description provided by architect.

Housenji Temple plays an important role as a center of local community. Our concept was to enhance its spiritual place for the locals and at the same time create pleasant environment to city.

Housenji Temple
© Koichi Torimura
Housenji Temple
© Koichi Torimura

For an existing building, we stabilized the structure with seismic retrofit system to resist earthquakes.

Adding a new function to the temple, we designed a new building attached to the existing one where housed an assembly hall on the 1st floor to serve visitors and the quarters on the 2nd and 3rd floor as residence for abbot family.

The new building in particular, we used TWFS (Thick Wall and Floor Structure with No Temporal Support) for building shell.

Housenji Temple
© Koichi Torimura
Housenji Temple
© Koichi Torimura

This system allows us to create no column space for assembly hall. For interior partitions, we used wooden panels installed on LGS (Light Gauge Steel).

So we were able to divide space freely which can be flexibly changed to meet new needs in the future.

Housenji Temple
© Koichi Torimura
Housenji Temple
© Koichi Torimura

Another unique design is at the entrance of assembly hall. Traditionally, an entrance space was quite small, it was where greeting guests then guests take off their shoes here before entering.

But in our project, we would like to make this space more welcoming to the visitors. So we enlarged space at the entrance and also placed the benches.

Housenji Temple
© Koichi Torimura
Housenji Temple
© Koichi Torimura

So visitors are warmly welcome into this space without taking off their shoes.

They can use this space for relaxing, waiting, sitting or talking without worrying about taking off their shoes.


Housenji Temple
© Koichi Torimura
Housenji Temple
© Koichi Torimura
Housenji Temple
© Koichi Torimura
Housenji Temple
© Koichi Torimura


Housenji Temple
Housenji Temple
Housenji Temple
Housenji Temple
Housenji Temple