Cranks is a minimalist residence located in Tokyo, Japan, designed by Hugo Kohno Architect Associates. The client requested the architects to design a house made of reinforced concrete on a site in a lively neighborhood near a station and a busy commercial district. However, the ground condition around this area is very poor and soft. If a building of three-stories with reinforced concrete was built, the designers would need to install pile foundations driven deep into the support layer, which would be unrealistic due to the large construction cost. In order to decrease the weight of the building, they adopted the composite structural system comprised of reinforced exterior concrete walls and conventional timber infill including interior walls and floors.