Simplicity is the key to the Veneer House system. People can assemble a Veneer House building like a plastic model kit, with no professional expertise or specialized equipment.

Since plywood is an accessible material around the world, the building components can be produced anywhere. The data used for the production of these components can be processed by any CNC router, so the production and supply of a Veneer House is not centralized. Whoever wants to use the systems can produce Veneer Houses whenever and wherever they want.

ACCESSIBILITY

LOCALITY

The Veneer House’s structural frame is made out of pre-cut plywood components, but we try to tailor the exterior cladding of each building to the local climate and culture. Sometimes this means adopting local materials and construction methods.

Rather than appear out of place, a completed Veneer House should feel familiar to local people. Indigenous materials and construction methods enable local people to repair the building exterior with their own hands, further reducing the need for outside labor, equipment, and expertise. The Veneer House aims to produce an architecture that harmonizes with the surrounding landscape and nurtures a sense of locality and community.

WORKSHOP

The essence of the Veneer House system is to make architecture more familiar to people by encouraging them to join in the construction process. We have organized various types of workshops to help introduce people to the system. These include explanatory workshops using scale architectural models for both construction personnel and local people. We have also held workshops in which large groups of people can join to assemble a building or fragment of a building together. For children too young to participate in the actual construction, we prepare toy kits with the same panel system to promote understanding of the Veneer House system.

We try to create opportunities for as many people to engage in the construction process as possible, regardless of their abilities.

DISTRIBUTION

Because the Veneer House Project originated in the reconstruction efforts of the Great East Japan Earthquake, we have developed it to be effective as a temporary shelter or a gathering place in emergency situations. However, storing plywood components just for the sake of emergencies would create large storage costs. Conversely, making design decisions, securing materials, and cutting plywood into components after a disaster occurs will consume valuable time.

As such, we are making Veneer House products available for purchase during ordinary times so that they could be temporarily collected and rapidly deployed after emergencies. Therefore, we keep a list of Veneer House kit owners who are willing to consider providing their kits to people in need during emergencies.