These Striking Teepee-Shaped Huts In Japan Offer Care To The Elderly

Nestled in the picturesque country in Japan are a group of five teepee-shaped huts that together serve as a center for elderly care. Situated in the Shizuoka Prefecture in the country’s Honshu region, these stunning timber-clad buildings were designed by Tokyo-based architect Issei Suma as a place for looking after the needs of older residents of a neighboring community.

Known as JIKKA, the teepee-styled structures offer a space of relaxation and tranquility to the elderly. According to Suma, the interconnected huts are owned and managed by two women in their 60s, one of whom is a cook and the other a social worker. Built over a area of around 100 square meters, the five buildings boast an array of impressive facilities, including well-equipped kitchens, housing as well as spacious bathrooms with spectacular spiral baths.

As pointed out by the developers, the spiral baths have been specially designed to ensure easy wheelchair accessibility. Additionally, there is a restaurant that serves delectable food made using locally-sourced ingredients. The owners also prepare meals, which are then delivered to the older people of the neighboring community. Featuring beautiful rounded doors and windows, each of these structures has a timber roof truss, apart from minimalist concrete interiors.

Huge windows and doors, coupled with strategically-placed skylights, ensure optimal availability of natural light. At the center of the cluster are the kitchen and the restaurant, with the living areas extending along the west and the guest bedrooms of two located in the eastern end.