The translucent Meme Meadows House in Japan is a lovely example
of minimalist architecture. More importantly, though, it's an
experimental house, built by design firm Kengo Kuma and
Associates to test heating methods in extreme climates — with
plenty of inspiration from the traditional building methods of
the Ainu people. The Ainu housing style, known as Chise,
includes sage or bamboo cladding, a central fireplace that never
goes out, and floors covered in cattail mats. According to
Kengo, "The fundamental idea of Chise, 'house of the earth,' is
to keep warming up the ground this way and retrieve the
radiation heat generated from it." The designers at Kengo Kuma
and Associates used modern materials to replicate these ideas.
For example, a larch frame is wrapped in polyester fluorocarbon
coating on the outside and removable glass-fiber-cloth membrane
on the inside. The two-part insulation is filled with plastic
made from recycled bottles, allowing light to pass through. This
double membrane warms the air and k