The location
for this project was adjacent to the calm and tranquil waters of Tokyo Bay.
When we first visited the site, we were immediately overwhelmed by the presence
of the ocean. Soon, however, we became attuned to the subtle cues coming from
the surroundings, such as the movements of the sun, the flow of the wind, the
scent of the tide, the st...
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The location
for this project was adjacent to the calm and tranquil waters of Tokyo Bay.
When we first visited the site, we were immediately overwhelmed by the presence
of the ocean. Soon, however, we became attuned to the subtle cues coming from
the surroundings, such as the movements of the sun, the flow of the wind, the
scent of the tide, the stirrings of the plants, and the presence of the rocky
mountain. We were particularly impressed by the sea and the soaring verticality
of the sky overhead, as well as the rocky mountain on the opposite side and the
vegetation growing on them. For this reason, we decided to design a building
that would serve to connect these mountains to the imposing expanse of the
ocean.
The client requested a comfortable, generously proportioned living, dining and
kitchen area, a bathroom overlooking the ocean, a guest room, and a spare room
that could be used to display his beloved car. The portion of the house
encircled by the central area, guest room and spare room was turned into a
tiled central courtyard where dogs can play. The courtyard also serves as an
outdoor living room where large numbers of guests can gather and mingle. Water
can also flow into the courtyard to create a basin that reflects the subtle
nuances of the surrounding light and wind.
Timber panel wall-building and timber space trusses were used to create a
structure that connects the ocean-facing side and mountain-facing sides of the
house. Although the trusses themselves occupy a wide space, gaps have been left
in between the different materials. By angling the walls obliquely in
accordance with the necessary spacing and throat gaps required for the truss
structure, we were able to eliminate a certain oppressiveness from the
interior.
Architecture ought to be rooted in
the place it occupies. The architectural form of this building somehow emerged
during the long process of analyzing and studying the location. Although the
design process was supposed to have entailed a frantic accumulation of
decision-making and choosing between possible options, the finished building
gives one the strange, lingering impression of having been constructed
according to some law or other.
By combining rigid timber panel
wall-building (a type of laminated veneer lumber) and truss arches, we were
able to create a tunnel-shaped space with almost no right-angled walls despite
the wide span of the building.
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