Analysis of Precedent

TTadao Ando’s Koshino House provides many oppurtunities for the education of a young architect. As one of the first buildings I studied in detail, it has remained an important reference. Ando’s use of con-striction and release of spaces means that he controls how users experience the house, pushing them through some areas, and making them pause to appreciate in others. The use of materials and lights in conjunction is another strong element of this precedent. Ando is highly regarded for his use of concrete and he uses this not only to express the structure of his buildings but also to create a canvascanvas upon which to play with light. The long corridor leading into the Tatami rooms is a very strong space with slits of light piercing the darkness while in contrast to this, the living room is an overall light space with a focus along the back wall, acheived by high level natural light washing over the con-crete.