Glass Wall Etxebizitza by Atsushi Hio is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 Zilarrezko Saria A' Design Award in Arkitektura, Eraikin eta Egitura Diseinua Competition Category.

ZilarArkitektura· 2023

Glass Wall Etxebizitza

by Atsushi Hio

Client: Arks Design Studio

Zilarrezko Saria A' Design Award Winner in Arkitektura Category

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Colors

The Design

About Glass Wall Etxebizitza

Glass Wall 2022an Himejin (Japonia) eraikitako etxebizitza bat da. Etxea auzo lasai bateko muino batean dago, eta lurraren malda baliatzen du pribatutasuna bermatzeko. Hormigoi armatuzko egitura aukeratu zen barruko espazio zabalak eta lurrikaren aurkako erresistentzia handia eskaintzeko. Aurrealdea altuera desberdinetan kokatutako hiru kutxa-formatan banatuta dago, itxura monotonoa saihesteko. Atal batek beirazko horma bat dauka, atrio-espazio bat argiztatzen duena. Zedro-oholen zuraren beta hormigoizko hormetara transferitu zen, gainazalek itxura hotza izan ez dezaten.

The Recognition

About the Zilarrezko Saria A' Design Award

Glass Wall Etxebizitza Zilarrezko Saria A' Design Award irabazlea da, goi-mailako, zoragarriak eta liluragarriak diren diseinuei ematen zaien ezohiko aitorpen prestijiotsua. Zilar-mailako irabazleak lan oso distiratsuak eta sormen biziko lanak dira, beren diseinatzaileen aditutasun, talentu eta zorroztasun nabarmenak erakusten dituztenak. Glass Wall Etxebizitza erakusleiho-lan zoragarria, nabarmenki profesionala eta sakonki berritzailea izatea espero da. Zilarrezko Saria A' Design Award irabazi duen diseinu hau asmakizun oso nabarmena eta miretsia da, onura ekartzen duena eta artearen, zientziaren, diseinuaren eta teknologiaren mugak zabaltzen dituena. Glass Wall Etxebizitza jende askok inbidia duen sorkuntza da, desirak pizten dituena, sentimendu positiboak ekartzen dituena eta harridura eta txunditzea pizten dituena.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The client desired a space that secures privacy and makes good use of the difference in elevation of the land.
For this reason a reinforced concrete structure was adopted which allows to keep large interior space and is highly earthquake resistant in Japan, a country prone to frequent earthquakes.
The front of the building has three box shapes arranged at different heights to avoid a monotonous design.
A glass wall is placed in one section. The interior of the glass wall is an atrium space that emits a fantastic light.
The lighting fixtures are the icon of the building.
Dimensions & Packaging: Reinforced concrete construction land area 591 square meters building area 356 square meters
Tags: Glass, Design, Architect, Interior, House, Castle
Production Technology: To maximize interior space and ensure the strength against earthquakes which occur often in Japan, reinforced concrete structures are used. The front appearance of the house is separated into three box shapes to avoid a monotonous design. Part of it has a glass wall In addition the wood grain of the cedar board is transferred to the concrete wall so that it does not look cold.
Design Challenge: While designing building plans exteriors and interiors we are considering a space design with light and shadow using natural lighting and artificial illuminance. They are affected by the time of day and the weather but the expression also changes depending on the material and color of the space. In this design walnut natural wood boards for the walls are used in the rooms but the walnut walls absorb more light than expected so expected brightness is not obtained. But the problem was solved by increasing the illuminance and adding new lighting equipment.
Research: An important aspect of the design of this house is the use of large glass openings in the living room, which has a high atrium, because the house is located on a hill, which allows for privacy from the outside.
By researching how light enters each season in the planned site, the living room was designed to be lit with sunlight all year round, to achieve both design and ecology and to improve performance.
Inspiration: The planned site is a quiet luxury residential area. The surrounding housing complex is about 50 years old and has an old atmosphere. Uniquely designed houses will be odd in this area so harmonizing design with surrounding old houses and rich atmosphere is challenging and a priority. Also this location is on the hill where Himeji Castle World Heritage Site can be seen and the beautiful scenery is wide open in front of the site. So luxury but rustic appearance brings harmony and modern lifestyle but nature inspired inside design brings comfort.
Project Duration: Built in Himeji, Japan in 2022
Operation Flow: We examined how the difference in elevation of the land affected the design and everyday life including how to utilize effective space and ensure privacy.
We devised ideas to make the interior as comfortable as possible for the client by eliminating as many steps as possible.
Image Credits: Photographer　Senichiro Nogami