Niyodo River Stud House
Niyodogawa Town in Kochi Prefecture, boasting a forest coverage rate of 89%, is actively working to attract new residents as part of efforts to revitalize its forestry industry. The town has gained popularity, drawing many people who move there each year to learn about forestry. To accommodate these newcomers, the town has decided to develop municipal housing. In doing so, the goal was to leverage the local timber supply chain promoted by Niyodogawa Town, aiming to expand distribution networks both within and outside the prefecture. A prototype was developed using locally produced wood planks.
Given this background, the design required using local planks, and the project took on the challenge of constructing the entire building using only these materials. Specifically, the design utilized 30×105mm studs that are widely produced at sawmills in Niyodogawa Town. These studs are typically shipped outside the prefecture as ‘lamina material’ for Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) panels. As a critical response to large-scale CLT construction, which involves gluing layers together in factories, this project proposed a structure that does not use glued panels or plywood.
The project set the length of each piece to under 3 meters to accommodate a small ShopBot cutting machine (CNC router) installed within the town. By combining two or more planks using bolts to form trusses and stacked columns, the design not only facilitates future disassembly and relocation but also aims for a construction method accessible to anyone.
Additionally, the entire supply chain—from milling and drying to ShopBot processing and construction—can be completed within the town. This reduces transportation costs, intermediaries, and CO2 emissions while contributing to the revitalization of local forestry and the timber industry, promoting economic circulation. The construction method envisioned here presents a new approach not only to local, sustainable homebuilding but also to a form of forestry where trees are harvested and used for construction by the hands of the community itself.
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