KIGUMI & CO.TIMBER ARCHITECTURE
JAPANESE TIMBER FRAMING • EUROPEAN PASSIVE HOUSE SCIENCE

Homes carved from forest, built to breathe.

Interlocking timber sanctuaries engineered without nails or toxic adhesives. Where centuries-old Hinoki and charred Yakisugi cedar meet certified Passive House energy efficiency.

Explore Residences
1,300 YrsHinoki Proven Longevity
0% MetalKigumi Interlocking Joints
12.4 kWhPassivhaus Heating/m²a
+64.2 TonsNet Carbon Stored / Home
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALITY

Sacred Japanese & Alpine Timbers

Explore aroma profiles, carbon sequestration metrics, and natural rot resistance across our five primary woods.

Materiality & Dendro-Engineering

Timber Species & Carbon Storage Studio

Origin: Nagano & Gifu Mountain Forests, Japan
Kiso Hinoki (Japanese Cypress)200+ Years Without Decay

"Citrus, Camphor, and Sweet Cedar Phytoncides"

The sacred structural timber of Japan, used in Horyu-ji Temple for over 1,300 years. As Hinoki ages, its structural strength increases for the first 200 years before gradually returning to initial baseline.

Architectural Structural Applications:
Primary Post-and-Beam ColumnsOnsen Bath ChambersExposed Structural Tie Beams
Structural Benchmarks
Wood Density440 kg/m³
Compressive Strength42.5 MPa
Carbon Storage790 kg/m³
Timber Volume45
Net CO₂ Stored:35.5 Metric Tons
CARPENTRY MECHANICS

Kigumi (木組) Interlocking Joinery

Interact with traditional joints engineered to withstand seismic shear forces with zero metal fasteners.

Traditional Joinery & Mechanical Friction

Kigumi (木組) Interlocking Joinery Simulator

BEAM ALPHA (檜)BEAM BETA (檜)LOCKING PIN (栓)
Locked Structure (0%)35% Exploded SeparationFully Disassembled (100%)
Beam-to-Beam Longitudinal Splicing金輪継ぎ

Kanawa-tsugi (Blind Scarf Joint with Locking Key)

Magnitude 8.2 Dynamic Energy Dissipation

One of the most revered joints in Japanese temple architecture. Connects two heavy structural beams seamlessly, resisting bending moment, torsion, and seismic tension without a single screw or bolt.

Load Capacity185 kN
Fastener Hardware0% Nails / 0% Glue
Mechanical Advantage:Tension and shear forces cause the interlocking teeth to compress tighter together under load.
CURATED CASE STUDIES

Built Residences & Sanctuaries

View All Architectural Studies
Higashiyama, Kyoto, Japan385 m² (4144 sq ft)

The Kyoto Forest Sanctuary

Conceived as a contemporary reinterpretation of the Chochikukyo residence. Built entirely with mortise-and-tenon Hinoki frames with no metal fasteners, integrated with sub-floor geothermal ventilation and triple-glazed shoji screens.

Primary TimberKiso Hinoki & Yoshino Sugi
Heating Floor12.4 kWh/(m²a)
Carbon Stored+64.2 Tons CO₂
Bergen Coastal Ridge, Norway430 m² (4628 sq ft)

The Fjord Ridge Residence

Clad in deep vitrified Yakisugi charred cedar to resist relentless coastal salt spray and freeze-thaw cycles. The internal mass timber core provides immense thermal mass to maintain 21°C year-round with zero active boilers.

Primary TimberYakisugi Charred Wood & Alpine Larch CLT
Heating Floor10.8 kWh/(m²a)
Carbon Stored+82.5 Tons CO₂
Engadin Valley, St. Moritz, Switzerland520 m² (5597 sq ft)

The Alpine High Pavilion

Crafted from aromatic Swiss Stone Pine (Arve) known to reduce human resting heart rates by up to 3,500 beats per day. Combined with 400mm wood-fiber insulation to create an acoustic and thermal sanctuary amid sub-zero Alpine winters.

Primary TimberSwiss Stone Pine (Arve) & Alpine Larch
Heating Floor14.2 kWh/(m²a)
Carbon Stored+96 Tons CO₂
Big Sur, California, USA350 m² (3767 sq ft)

The Pacific Coast Haven

Designed to touch the earth lightly with a pin-foundation timber frame suspended above delicate coastal soil. Operable clerestory vents leverage oceanic cross-breezes for complete natural conditioning.

Primary TimberReclaimed Pacific Douglas Fir & Western Red Cedar
Heating Floor9.5 kWh/(m²a)
Carbon Stored+58 Tons CO₂
SPATIAL HARMONY

Floor Plan & Airflow Dynamics

Discover how the Engawa veranda and clerestory timber architecture regulate natural lighting and temperature.

Spatial Zoning & Passive Solar Orientation

Architectural Floor Plan & Airflow Dynamics

ENGAWA VERANDA (縁側) • 42 m²Grand Timber Pavilion (広間)85 m² • 5.2m Cathedral CeilingTatami Chashitsu24 m² (茶室)Hinoki Onsen32 m² (檜風呂)SUMMER HIGH SUN (78° DEFLECTED BY OVERHANGING TIMBER EAVES)
South / Southwest縁側

Engawa (Wraparound Veranda)

Area: 42 m² (452 sq ft)

The quintessential transitional zone between interior living space and the natural garden. Deep timber eaves block high summer sun while welcoming low winter solar warmth.

Acoustic Sound FloorNatural Ambient Sound Filter
Natural Daylight5,000–12,000 Lux
Material Palette:Yoshino Sugi Decking & Deep Overhanging Eaves
ENERGY MODELING

Passive House Energy Calculator

Calculate your projected heating demand and total metric tons of embodied carbon stored in your home.

Passivhaus & Carbon Sequestration Modeling

Building Energy & Carbon Storage Calculator

Certified Passive House standards combined with regenerative Japanese timber construction.

Planned Residential Area380 m² (4090 sq ft)
Space Heating Demand
12.4 kWh/(m²a)
Passive House Compliant (≤15)
Net CO₂ Stored in Wood
47.6 Tons
105 cars taken off road/yr
Airtightness Standard
0.38 ACH₅₀
Exceeds 0.60 Standard
Annual Energy Savings
-85%
vs Standard Code Building
Total Annual Heating
4,712 kWh/yr
Covered by solar / heat pump
Structural Mass Timber
61
100% Sustainably Certified
BESPOKE ARCHITECTURAL COMMISSIONING

Begin crafting your generational timber sanctuary.

We accept a limited number of residential commissions annually to ensure hand-selected timber logs and master carpentry precision.