SUMMER

WINTER

WOOD SOURCED FROM PRIVATE PLATFORM

SURROUNDING LARCH FOEST FOR TEA CEREMONIES

MOMENT CONNECTION ON
POST AND BEAM STRUCTURE
1: 25

COLUMN COMPOSITION
1: 50

NORTH-WEST WIND

LATERAL CROSSBRACING ON
GROUND AND SECOND LEVEL
1: 25

EXPLODED CONCEPTUAL ISOMETRIC

SECTION DETAIL OLIVIER DUCHARME
JENNIFER JIANG

RAIN COLLECTION SYSTEM ARCH 303 - U2

wooden frame
34.5% slope transparent glass

WATER TANK

irrigation water pipe

nail
45x45
20mm translucent
polycarbonate

“L” steel catwalk

TEAHOUSE

15mm PEX tube

75x300

NATURAL VENTILATION SYSTEM

75x150
Japanes larch
concrete panel with wax finish
5mm glass

25mm wood
4x (150x150)
adobe brick glulam larch
timber column

gravel concrete seating

packed earth floor

perforated pipe

ANNOTATED DETAIL WALL SECTION

1:40

25mm plaster with chicken wire 25mm plaster 10mm plywood

10mm plywood 10mm plywood 150mm beam
150mm beam 75mm rigid insulation 150mm wooden frame with
150mm insulation 75x150 larch wooden frame insulation batts
15mm plywood 15mm plywood
5mm waterproofing 75mm plaster with PEX tubes
stainless steel adjuster
20mm rafter
24x120 larch
INSPIRATION . CIRCULATION . SECTION OLIVIER DUCHARME
JENNIFER JIANG

ARCH 303 - U2

SURROUNDINGS & TRADITION

While its topography allows a nice view to the

ocean, its geographic location calls for
pronounced seasons. Concrete walls in the
ground level protects the building from the
dominant northwest winter wind. That being said,
this straightforward box-shaped structure house is HARVEST / GROWING SPACE
reinforced with polycarbonate panels on all sides
including its funnel-shaped roof. On one side, the
translucent facades and roof are to extend
cultivation season in colder months by capturing
sun light for the plants and keep its warmth; for
hotter months, sliding panels in the facades and
roof open to facilitate air movement, creating a
CIRCULATION SPACE
natural ventilation. On the other side, the sloped
shape of the roof eases rain water collection that
is used to irrigate the plants via pipe system.

PRIVATE TEA SPACE

The rather simplistic shape of the building comes
from traditional Japanese language of the
“house/roof as a structure”. The polycarbonate
roof extending seamlessly as wall panels can be
seen as a modern adaptation of their traditional
structural composition. The abundance of wood in PUBLIC COOKING SPACE
the building is an attempt to recreate an symbolic
larch forest amid, from which a treehouse would
be in its heart. This tree house serves as a
semi-enclosed private space from which
occupants could enjoy the tea ceremony, a
cultural ritual in Japan. CIRCULATION DIAGRAM

450 2100 2100 2100 2100 450

10.100
850

9.250

9.000
2200

7.050

6.800
2200

4.850

4.600
2200

2.650

2.400
2400

0.250

0.000

1020 2100 2100 2100 2100 1020

KEY SECTION
1:75
PLANS . DESCRIPTION OLIVIER DUCHARME
JENNIFER JIANG

ARCH 303 - U2

2430 2100 2100 2430 2100 2100 2100 2100

960 2333 1050 1050 3666

COMPOSTING
MECHANICAL

KITCHEN

2430
2430
2430

2100
2100
2430
1455

WATER TANK

2100

2100
2100

2100
4510
SOIL

2100
1455

2100

2100
2100

2100 2100 2100 2100

SOIL

2100
2100
2430
3720

2120
2100 ENTRANCE
STORAGE SOIL

960 1470 1950 3720 960

2100 2100 2100 2100
2430 2100 2100

GROUND LEVEL PLAN SECOND LEVEL PLAN

1: 125

2100 2100 2100 2100 2100 2100 2100 2100

2100

2100
2100

2100
2100

2100
2100

2100
2100

2100
2100

2100
2100

2100
2100

2100

2100 2100 2100 2100 2100 2100 2100 2100

THIRD LEVEL PLAN FOURTH LEVEL PLAN

CONTEXTUAL & STRUCTURAL DESCRIPTION

Nest We Grow with the 3 previous winners of the same design-built competition, all sit on a fairly flat topographic area,
nested in Memu Meadows' local farms and food cultivation. Built with different professionals, including the usual struc-
tural engineers and contractors and the unusual composting toilet manufacturer, this project incorporates Californian
approach on heavy timber construction to Japanese traditional expertise on minimalist wood connections (joints). The
main structure of the building is composed of a 3 x 3 grid of 9 imposing larch glulam timber columns from locally
sourced larch wood by Japan-based Takahashi Construction Company. The structural beams are then seamlessly
connected to module the different horizontal spacing arrangements, and thus forming, in itself, a larch communal
forest using a post-and-beam timber construction method. The building is organized with its largest open area for food
preparation on the ground level; with its elevated semi-enclosed platform accessible through a staircase on the
second level for tea ceremonies and spiritual gatherings; and with its catwalks corridors of comestible garden on the
third and fourth levels accessible through ladders.
INTRODUCTION . SITE PLAN . PICTURES OLIVIER DUCHARME
JENNIFER JIANG

ARCH 303 - U2

1:10 000

LOCATION

NEST WE GROW HAMATAIKI LARCH FOREST

PACIFIC OCEAN

Productive Garden – A Space for Enjoying Hokkaido with All Five Senses

On the south-east end of Hokkaido, the largest northernmost

island of Japan, stands a porous communal platform for its
local people’s enjoyment and collective identity reinforce-
ment. Nest We Grow was brought to realization around the
same concept of community—under the melting pot of
harmonious collaborations. In response to the 4th Annual
LIXIL International University Architectural Competition, the
winning proposal was designed in partnership with Kengo
Kuma & Associates by a team of UC Berkeley College of
Environmental Design (CED) students.

The competition calls for innovative architectural students

centering on sustainable development and housing technolo-
gy; resulting in the creation of a “Productive Garden” – A
Space for Enjoying Hokkaido with All Five Senses. Working
closely with local resident needs and concerns, the architects
were able to produce a holistic environment for the communi-
ty to gather, prepare and enjoy food in a shared atmosphere
accessible all year long. In other words, the building supports
all stages of food production—ranging as early as growing
and harvesting to the enjoyment of cooking and dining—and
provides a resourceful cycle with its composting and storing
abilities. These key concepts were conceptually designed,
smoothly executed, and programmatically translated into the
physical building.