About KAM Exterior / Weathering is a word that means weathering or deterioration.I have been trying to incorporate weathering into my design in a positive way.Andrea Palladio, an Italian architect of the 16th century, used mottled marble on the facade of his villa where it would be stained by the rain, such as on the sides of the pediment (isosceles triangle above the window). On the other hand, he used homogenous white marble in areas that he thought would stay clean forever. He used different colored materials for different areas.Ever since I learned about this, I have become more aware of how the buildings I design change over time. One of the answers I got was the weathering finish.I wanted to create an architectural presence that would blend in well with the surrounding environment from the start, as if the building had been there for a long time, rather than something that was shiny when newly built but would soon deteriorate, or something that would stay smooth as new forever.The surface of the concrete formwork, the state of plastering after demolding, the degree of polishing of the white putty to be applied on top of the formwork, and finally the state of the color mixing for the topcoat paint are all elaborate finishes that only appear through the accumulation of the handiwork of many craftsmen. Naturally, it is necessary to be prepared to tolerate unpredictable coincidences. However, the result is an architecture with a strong human presence, rather than the usual building that looks as if it has been texture-mapped from a catalog photo.
This weathered KAM was completed with a completely different quality of presence compared to the many similarly sized condominiums in the surrounding area, most of which are tiled and are expected to maintain their original beauty forever. The exterior of the building, which looks as if it has been absorbed by time, is appropriate for Kamezawa, a town that seems to be steeped in history, a place associated with Hokusai Katsushika, a place where the culture of sophisticated townspeople flourished from the early modern era to the modern era, and a place where manufacturing industries flourish.I think this is a good match for Kamezawa.