Ring House / TNA Architects

The Ring House is the work of architects Makoto Takei & Chie Nabeshima/TNA and is in the forest of Karuizawa, a region located on the outskirts of the city and an hour from Tokyo.

Architects: Makoto Takei & Chie Nabeshima/TNA
Location: Nagano, Japan
Photographs: Daici Ano, Jimmy Cohrssen

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Set in a woodland area an hour’s drive from Tokyo, the house commands a panoramic view on all sides. The mini-tower seems to exist without vertical elements; indeed, not even the individual storeys are legible. Everything is concealed behind a layer of laminated cedar strips, which are rigidly fixed to timber columns more than 10 m high. To avoid the use of diagonal members, rigid connections were necessary for the prefabricated Vierendeel facade structure. This was achieved with annular split-ring connectors. The facade boarding ensures a restrained appearance.