Japanese house made out of bookshelves is reader's delight

Some people love the idea of ditching all their physical books in favor of getting their literature fix entirely on an e-reader. Others, however enthusiastic about the convenience of ebooks they might be, still appreciate a nice, solid, physical book. Or several. Or several thousand.

The client for whom this house was built, in Osaka prefecture, Japan, wanted to be able to access and display his extensive collection of books on Islamic history, so the Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio incorporated that desire into the design of the Shelf-Pod. Using inspiration from traditional Japanese design and Islamic architecture, the architects didn't just install bookshelves onto the walls of the house; they incorporated the dimensions and design  of bookshelves into the actual structure of the building. The latticework of shelves and cubbyholes continues in every space of the house, from bedroom to bathroom. The result is a building that is both inspiring and surprisingly cozy.

In addition to following standards for structural integrity in the event of Japan's frequent earthquakes, the house was built using the centuries-old techniques of traditional dozō storehouses. These techniques use a bamboo foundation wall attached to a lattice structure, covered with a clay and straw plaster. In the case of this house, the exterior walls were then covered with red cedar panels. This creates a highly fireproof structure which also keeps the interior at a constant humidity, both of which are extremely important when your prized possessions are made of paper.

[Via: Geekosystem]

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