The House for Contemporary Art رهائش

Press Kit

Unique Properties

SEAMLESS SPATIAL COMPOSITION
You can circulate through the spaces in this home looking at the owner’s collection of artwork just as if you were passing through galleries in a museum.

RESPONSE TO THE ENVIRONMENT
The first was dealing with the snow. In regions with heavy snow, the shape of the roof is very important. Many homes are built on the assumption that someone will shovel the snow off the roof, but that’s a lot of heavy work, and dangerous. We decided on a flat roof with no parapet that would stay relatively snow-free because of wind action.
Our second thing was to create good airflow.

Dimensions & Packaging

Site Area 246.48 sqm / Building Area 137.10 sqm / Total Floor Area 135.56 sqm

Tags

House like an Art Museum, Seamless Spatial Composition, Response to the Environment (Nature), Dealing with the Snow, Natural Ventilation

Production Technology

Reinforced Concrete 1 Story

Design Challenge

To encourage natural ventilation, we created a temperature differential by designing two gardens, one on the south side that would warm up easily, and one on the north side that would remain cool. This is a traditional design method used in Kyoto townhouses.

Research

It goes without saying that our top priority was fulfilling the client’s wishes. We began by measuring the many works of art that the client had created and collected over the years. Next, we held a number of planning meetings to discuss where to display each work of art, among other issues. For instance, we determined the height of the living room ceiling based on the wall size that could accommodate a painting measuring over 1.5 x 1 meter. In addition to the art collection, the client also has a large number of old records, mostly jazz. It was important for us to figure out a way to display them.

Inspiration

We designed this home for an art appreciator and amateur artist who wanted a house like an art museum. Planned with careful consideration for air circulation as well as for the harsh, snowy climate of the Japan Sea coast, the structure is composed of white boxes of varying scale that frame spaces like pictures.

Project Duration

Fukui Prefecture, JAPAN

Operation Flow

You can circulate through the spaces in this home looking at the owner’s collection of artwork just as if you were passing through galleries in a museum.

Image Credits

Hiroshi Ueda, F.A.D.S