by ArchitectureWeek

A steel prefabrication system similar to that used in aircraft design was applied in the experimental Mini-House in Tokyo by Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima, working with Atelier Bow-Wow and the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

"This innovative construction is built from a light-gauge steel structural system. The house is built from partially prefabricated wall and floor units which are assembled without the use of columns or beams. The walls are built from steel channels set at 20-inch (500-millimeter) centers. Panels are 26 feet (8 meters) high and 8 feet (2.5 meters) wide, fixed directly to the foundations. Floor sections are 15 feet (4.5 meters) long, 20 inches (500 millimeters) wide, and 4 inches (100 millimeters) deep. No additional finishes such as drywall (dry lining) are used in this building."
— Andrew Watts

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This project was published in Modern Construction Handbook, by Andrew Watts, copyright © 2001, Springer-Verlag, available at Amazon.com.

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The partially prefabricated Mini-House in Tokyo by Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima. Photo: Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima The Mini-House is built from a light-gauge steel structural system without the use of columns or beams. Photo: Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.