Yousaku Tsutsumi · CLIENT: Arbol
House in Akashi is a single-storey house designed to bring daily life close to nature. The house is divided into three zones, based on purpose and degree of privacy, and each zone has its own garden and concept. Areas for family life, harvest and the enjoyment of nature are tailored to the interests of the client. Communal space is kept large and private rooms small, which encourages a social atmosphere. The enclosed courtyards bring soft daylight indoors and blur the boundary between inside and outside. The structure is built entirely of timber, following a traditional Japanese method.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- A minimalist house designed to immerse one with nature, promoting a unique lifestyle. The house is divided into three zones based on purpose and degree of privacy, each with a garden and unique concept. Areas for family, harvest and celebrating nature are carefully designed and tailored to the client’s interests, and the courtyards naturally and softly light the house. The prominence of nature within the design and sensory experiences serves to blur the boundaries between outside and inside.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Site area: 172.81㎡ Floor Area: 81.07㎡
Building dimensions: 11,250mm x 9,100mm x 3,570mm - Tags
- Architecture, Japanese, Nature, Wood Structure, Privacy, Residential, House
- Production Technology
- Arbol have a deep understanding of the merits of various types of timber for different purposes; this allowed the design to be constructed entirely from wood with no sacrifice to the performance. The project is therefore extremely sustainable in its construction, offering a design which is in harmony with the nature it celebrates.
- Design Challenge
- The key challenge was to incorporate all the essential spaces within a small site area, on a single storey while still hosting elements which are essential to the house's artistic vision, such as courtyards and the surrounding walls for privacy.
- Project Duration
- The design started in April 2017, and construction lasted from January - July 2018. The house is located in Akashi city in Hyogo prefecture, Japan.
- Operation Flow
- The house is designed specifically around the client’s lifestyle and desire for an environment promoting tranquillity and deep comfort. Communal space is as large as possible while private rooms are as small as possible, encouraging a social atmosphere. Enclosing the gardens within the house allows for the intended vision to be realised regardless of the immediate surroundings, thus capturing the endless expanse of the outer world within a city dwelling.
- Inspiration
- The project is inspired by ideas of how the user is immersed within nature. The project is motivated by the pursuit of an environment that maximises communal space and harmonises wind, nature, sunlight, lifestyle and privacy. These elements are all contained within a structure influenced by the conventional method -zai rai kou hou- of traditional Japanese wooden construction.
- Image Credits
- Image #1-4 : Photographer Yasunori Shimomura, House in Akashi, 2018.
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