Nomura 24 House in Takarazuka, Japan by Antonino Cardillo architect

Article source: Antonino Cardillo architect

The inexact quality

House on two levels of medium size built on a hill on a trapezoidal plot in a suburb in the district of Hyōgo, overlooking Ōsaka bay. Wooden structure, whitewashed walls and sloping pitched roof. Sleeping area on the ground floor – three bedrooms with bathroom and entrance hall (genkan) – and living area on the first floor – wc, kitchen, patio, dining area, sitting room and Japanese room (washitsu).

Exterior View, Image Courtesy © Antonino Cardillo

• Architect: Antonino Cardillo architect
• Name of Project: Nomura 24 House
• Location: Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
• Local architect: Yukinori Nagao
• Interior coordinator: Ayumi Taniguchi
• Photos: Antonino Cardillo

Interior View, Image Courtesy © Antonino Cardillo

• Site supervisor: Takeshi Suenaga
• Interpreter: Luca Balestra
• Client: Nomura Koumuten, Osaka
• Size: 150 m²
• Costs: ¥ 59.900.000
• Design: September 2009
• Construction year: March 2010
• Site area: 230 m2
• Site coverage: 80 m²
• Max height: 9 m
• Storeys: Two levels

Interior View, Image Courtesy © Antonino Cardillo

Formally, in plan, the two longer, non-parallel sides of the plot define two right-angled systems which find their formal connection on the third side, on the road, defining in elevation an incisive, faceted shape. Its diverse surfaces mutate the intensity of the light according to the incidence of the sun. Inside, on the first floor, a large polygonal living room with seven sides possesses the inexact quality of certain medieval Italian piazzas, on whose sides the openings – now windows, now doorways – describe multiple directions of aspect and travel.

Interior View, Image Courtesy © Antonino Cardillo

The irregularity of the geometry, therefore, crystallises in the shape a willingness for dialogue among the parts which make up the whole. Finally, at the rear, the narrow space created between the kitchen and the Japanese room picks out a small patio, whose windowed sides gather the afternoon diagonals of the sun on the tatami flooring of the Japanese room and reverberating blues inside the kitchen cavity. These two rooms give onto the living room through two low doorways cut into the white sketch of a high wall. Almost rationalised grottoes, these bedrooms made of independent light engage with the large polygonal room: dark and azure in the morning, light and warm in the afternoon.

Interior View, Image Courtesy © Antonino Cardillo

Interior View, Image Courtesy © Antonino Cardillo

Interior View, Image Courtesy © Antonino Cardillo

Site Plan, Image Courtesy © Antonino Cardillo architect

Tags: Japan, Takarazuka

Category: House

This entry was posted on Monday, April 9th, 2012 at 7:41 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.