For the past thirty years, architect Yoshifumi Nakamura has consistently made houses that nestle to the lifestyles of his clients and provides them with a sense of comfort like that offered by casual-wear clothing. Rather than seeking to create novelties or artistic statements through his buildings, Nakamura maintains a design philosophy in which the protagonists are the residents of the houses and the ways of life that they develop within them. His approach has earned the affection and trust of many people from across a wide range of generations and fields, including a young couple that sought to build their first home, an elderly woman who lives independently, a businessman, and an artist.

Having developed an attraction to huts when he was a child, Nakamura has since continued to consider the hut to be the archetype of the house throughout his years of thinking earnestly about the nature of dwellings. This exhibition presents the idea of the hut as a medium for re-addressing the question, “What is a house?”

The exhibition is composed of three main parts. Exhibit I (3F) presents seven huts from across the world and ages that have influenced Nakamura. The featured huts range from Kamo-no-Chomei’s Hojo hut to Le Corbusier’s holiday hut. Exhibit II (4F) presents the particularly hut-like houses that have been selected from the numerous residential projects that Nakamura has designed to this date. The courtyard exhibit consists of a full-scale hut designed for one resident that allows visitors to contemplate the essences of the idea of dwelling. The hut is a condensed version of Nakamura’s own hut-home in which he has been experimenting with achieving an energy self-sufficient lifestyle.

We hope that all will enjoy this exhibition that is full of Nakamura’s playful ideas and which offers visitors with the opportunity to visit, experience, and learn from the hut.

March 30 – April 2, 2013