Cardboard overlord Shigeru Ban has busted out his building material of choice yet again—this time to construct a mountain lodge on Yakushima Island in Kagoshima, Japan. Known for its ancient forests, the island is routinely subjected to harsh weather: a brutal mix of humid subtropical climates and some of the world's heaviest precipitation levels, which makes the idea of a home built out of, um, paper, seem like a very soggy choice. Still, when a starchitect has as much experience building natural disaster-proof structures as Ban, it seems likely that there's a method behind the madness.
Indeed, the paper tubes lining the narrow hut—sadly, there are no exact measurements to be found, yet—can be swapped out in the event of weather damage, and are buffered with smaller transparent tubes. The roof is also designed with inclement weather in mind—sloping dramatically to drain rainwater. Inside, the sparse cabin boasts a ground floor, a small lofted area accessible by stairs, and a balcony for the rare sunny day. Design Boom has more information on the mighty little cabin that could, right this way.
· Shigeru Ban builds paper tube tree hut on Yakushima Island [Design Boom]
· Yakushima Takatsuka Lodge [Shigeru Ban Architects]
· All Shigeru Ban coverage [Curbed]