House in Shiraiwa Residence

Press Kit

Unique Properties

Its interior space are equally divided into two different sections, Indoor and semi-outdoor space.
Large part of the indoor space is allocated to living room to enrich communication between the family, whilst the other rooms are minimized. The other half, semi-outdoor space is covered with pergola surrounding the indoor space. It allows residents to bring their indoor activities into buffer zone between the living room and magnificent landscape whilst they feel sense of local environment.

Dimensions & Packaging

Site area: 498m2
Building Area : 109m2
total Floor Area : 218m2

Tags

Pergola, silhouette, distance, Nature, buffer zone, white stone

Production Technology

Detail design of the pergola was determined by sunlight simulation.Its beautiful silhouette created by slits of the pergola gives wall of the building different characters by each days and seasons.Structurally, diagonal parts of pergola helps to reinforce the pergola as horizontal brace.
In terms of materiality, scraped mortar with crashed white rock as a local material are applied to the wall. Although, the wall continues from outside to the inside with same material, each walls have finished by different scraping equipments to soften indoor space.

Design Challenge

This project aims to regain locality in contemporary Japanese house whilst keeping context of modernism. Locality has been often lost in Japanese architecture since thinking in a way of architecture modernism has became general in the society. However, building always sticks to its local, and it can not move like vehicle and machine. Therefore, it is important that reconnecting architecture and its surroundings by a notion of locality such as style, history and material.

Project Duration

The project started in Feb,2017 and finished in Apr 2019 in Hamamatsu, Japan

Operation Flow

Use of the pergola space has not been defined intentionally to keep it flexible and free space changed by user’s imagination. In spite of the fact that it has same amount of space as the one in indoor space, I believe making such a space without specify type of activities is highly beneficial for user’s future living in their local.

Research

Back in the past, Japanese house had many elements to create borderless relationship between in and out. such as Engawa: outer corridor located outside of window but used as the part of indoor space. Additionally, there was unique architectural style in each area in Japan. Nevertheless, it was lost because highly adiabatic and protected house to cope with severe changes of climate has been demanded.

Inspiration

A house is located in Shiraiwa, the area in the north of Hamamatsu city in Japan. It is surrounded by mandarin plantation halfway up the mountain.
Its environment having extraordinary view and rich nature allows to design a building by the concept of distance between inhabitation and nature.

The house has been formed by two of contradictory senses. One is a sense of openness led by its location looking down valley from slope on the mountain. The other is a sense of security led by the other fact of its location surrounded by mountains, as if it protects the house.

Image Credits

Photographer : Toshiyuki Yano

Colors of House in Shiraiwa Residence

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