Yatsugatake Villa Villa by Kiyotoshi Mori and Natsuko Kawamura

Yatsugatake Villa Villa by Kiyotoshi Mori and Natsuko Kawamura is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award de Bronce in Deseño de Arquitectura, Edificación e Estruturas Competition Category.

BronceArquitectura· 2022

Yatsugatake Villa Villa

by Kiyotoshi Mori and Natsuko Kawamura

Client: MDS Co., Ltd.

A' Design Award de Bronce Winner in Arquitectura Category

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Verified Award Winner

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The Design

About Yatsugatake Villa Villa

Texto do libro: Yatsugatake Villa é unha residencia de verán situada en Hokuto-City, Yamanashi, Xapón. O edificio está formado por tres tubos trapezoidais dispostos en forma de abano e orientados cara ao sur. A ampla abertura sur permite a entrada de luz solar durante o frío inverno, mentres que o teito estendido e os muros laterais bloquean o forte sol do verán. As xanelas situadas ao norte e ao sur permiten que as brisas atravesen o interior. Emprégase a construción tradicional xaponesa en madeira, con cedro, xeso e pantallas shoji. As pantallas shoji pechadas ofrecen unha luz suave, mentres que as abertas enmarcan a paisaxe montañosa circundante.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Bronce

Yatsugatake Villa Villa gañou o A' Design Award de Bronce, un recoñecemento altamente prestixioso outorgado a deseños sobresaíntes que se distinguen pola creatividade, o enxeño e a sagacidade. Os gañadores Bronce son artefactos amplamente hábiles e sorprendentemente creativos que autentican a vasta experiencia, imaxinación e enxeño dos seus deseñadores. Espérase que Yatsugatake Villa Villa sexa un obxecto moi apreciado, admirado e querido, notablemente profesional e innovador. Este deseño gañador do A' Design Award de Bronce incorpora as mellores prácticas da arte, a ciencia, o deseño e a tecnoloxía, e é excelente pola súa atención ao detalle. Yatsugatake Villa Villa satisfai espléndidamente as necesidades, toca os desexos, encanta os sentimentos e atrae a curiosidade.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The exterior is characterized by three modern trapezoid tubes, deforming the traditional Japanese space under deep eaves to frame the landscape in four directions. The form was derived from meticulous calculation of precipitation, the sun's movement in summer and winter, and the thermal environment. Shoji paper screens offer a space filled with soft light iconic of Japanese culture when closed, and switch to the majestic scenery framed by the walls when opened, providing two alternating scenes.
Dimensions & Packaging: Site Area 691.00m2
Total Floor Area 110.01 m2 (1F 71.65 m2, 2F 38.36 m2)
W17,400mm x D12,300mm x H6,139mm
Tags: Villa, Sun light, Wind, Fan-shape, Wooden, Mountain, Three adjacent shells, Sho-ji, Eaves, Farming
Production Technology: Contrary to the contemporary style guided by precipitation, sun rays and the surrounding environment, the construction of the house incorporates traditional Japanese wooden construction methods, with earthquake-resistant walls and large openings. Traditional Japanese techniques and components are used throughout, including plastering on the curved openings and fittings such as shoji and ranma (partition with ventilation and daylighting functions), creating a vernacular architecture.
Design Challenge: In Japan, especially in rural areas, the number of carpenters capable of building elaborate wooden houses is decreasing, and it was difficult to find a builder who could construct a building with a unique (challenging) design. In spite of the modern design, Japanese cedar and plastering materials are used, and shoji screens as well as other traditional materials handed down from generation to generation are fit in by the indigenous module method, enabling the definition of a Japanese space.
Research: Three trapezoid tubes with north-south openings sit wide open towards the south to maximize winter daylight. Glass surfaces are set back from the roof edge to avoid direct south sun rays in summer. Side walls are arranged to block the west sun. The footprint is set back from the roof edge, partly to reduce soil excavation (deep foundation below the frost line is required), creating a sitting area free from rain dripping from the roof. It is a modern version of traditional Japanese engawa space.
Inspiration: With exterior walls arranged to resemble a fan, the house provides framing for the landscape, maximizing the location on a plateau surrounded by fields and trees with panoramic view of mountain ranges in the distance. It is a summer resort, slightly cooler than humid summers in Tokyo, and yet the sun rays are strong and the winters are cold. The roof was extended to block direct sunlight in the summer and side walls to keep the western sun out, resulting in a series of tubular forms.
Project Duration: The project was completed in Hokuto-City, Yamanashi, Japan in 2012
Operation Flow: Considering the cold winter, the building is built in a fan shape, open to the south, in order to maximize the sunlight while the sun moves. On the other hand, in summer, the roofs and walls of the trapezoid tubes block the strong sun rays, creating shadows inside, and windows at the north and south let the breeze through to cool the airy space. The layout, guided by the thermal environment, provides various interior scenes of varying depths as seen through the openings that connect the spaces.
Team Members: Kiyotoshi Mori
Natsuko Kawamura
Image Credits: Photography: Toshiyuki Yano