WORKS

WORKS

瀬戸内の家 House of Setouchi

The mountainside with the Seto Inland Sea spread out below. Looking southeast from Onomichi Channel to the southwest, one can see Setoda and other islands large and small in the distance. To the northwest is Fudekageyama, designated as Setonaikai National Park, and the forest air is fresh and clean. The chirping of birds and rustling of leaves are pleasant to the ears here. Climbing up the hill to reach the site, the view that opens up in front of you will take your breath away.  The site is on a considerable elevation, and there is nothing to block the view from the second floor of the building. We decided to build a house that would be appropriate for this location. A house that would take full advantage of the beautiful scenery.

The building is a two-story reinforced concrete and steel structure with the first floor as a closed concrete box, composed of bedrooms, sanitary and small living rooms.

The living room, dining room, kitchen, and study space are located on the upper and second floors of the box. The second floor space is not partitioned in any particular way, but rather is divided by the atrium courtyard and a symbolic tree that looks out through the glass.

The walls have 360-degree horizontal windows. The idea was not so much "windows" as "walls of glass. The landscape surrounding the building is alluring, and no reason was found to close any of the sides.

If you want to enjoy the view, you don't need anything extra. Even the sash frames break up the landscape. Therefore, we decided to hide this frame in the small opening of the lowered wall from the ceiling. We decided that curtains would not be suitable, so we opted for shoji screens. The sliding shoji were not horizontal, but vertical, and like the sash frames, they were placed in the wall. The 30 cm rise from the floor below the glass is a place where people can relax freely. They can enjoy their favorite view from their favorite place, in their favorite corner, doing their favorite thing.

The kitchen is made of stainless steel. In addition to its function of preserving beauty, we thought its hard impression would enhance the greenery outside the window.

Here you can enjoy "time" to the fullest. The changing seasons, the changing day, and the changing weather - the colors and shadows of the sky, sea, and trees tell us the time. The panoramic beauty of the sunlit hours is exceptional, but it is even more beautiful on moonlit evenings. The white light reflected on the surface of the water is serene, and combined with the lights of the small town below, it is very atmospheric.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

If you turn off the indoor lights and spend the night in the moonlight, you will feel a beautiful different space. On moonless nights, lighting candles is also a nice touch. The flickering flames are reflected in the glass on all four sides, creating a different look from the daytime.

This building was planned with an emphasis on a sense of surrender to the site. During the design process, the building was constructed by carefully examining the structure and subtracting unnecessary elements. The emphasis on integrating the building with its beautiful surroundings has resulted in a seemingly modern but calm space. By valuing the freedom of living in a space where one can fully enjoy the scenery, the building naturally became a simple structure.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

We hope to provide the richness and comfort of living in this area through this building. We hope to provide the richness and comfort of living here through this building.

DATA

  • Completion 2008.03
  • Building site Mihara , Hiroshima
  • Principal use private residence
  • Structure SRC
  • Photo Fuji Studio

AWORD

  • 2009 JIA現代日本の建築家優秀建築選5
  • 2009 グッドデザイン賞受賞
  • 2011 BARBARA CAPPOCHIN 国際ビエンナーレ2011 優秀作品賞
  • 2013 日本建築学会 中国建築文化賞 作品賞