We planned the house for a family with small children in a residential area in Kobe City.
We had to keep both privacy and daylighting for the family because they were concerned about line of sight from other houses which are located in sloping tiers. We designed dual roofs structure, the floating roof and the lower roof. Outer walls cover the house like curtains which are hanged from the floating roof. Alley Terrace connects from the south side into the house inside. This structure makes enough ventilation and daylighting.
The site given by the client couple was on the steep hillside in Takaraduka, Hyogo. It was compose of almost steep hill facing South and little flat area, the scenery from the top was magnificent, so are the fresh wind and cozy sunlight.
The Harmony between Architecture and Belongings across Time: A Former “Kenban” Turned Into a Home.
Kinosaki Onsen, located in Hyogo Prefecture, is one of the leading onsen areas in Japan, with a history of over 1300 years. Just a short path in from the main street of this onsen city is a small stream, along which stands a former “kenban” (a place for geisha performers from the onsen to gather). Built 50 years ago, and surrounded by a bamboo forest, we converted/renovated this building into a residence.
Nishinomiya is a city located between Osaka and Kobe. The site is situated in a residential neighborhood with typical block layout. According to the local construction policy, there needs to be a fifty-centimeter setback from the site boundary, which allows a one-meter narrow gap between the houses. Normally, each household will have the windows facing the public roads with the curtains shut to keep its privacy. Therefore, openings as such are not providing the occupants with much light, ventilation or views.
This is a residential area where the magnificent nature still remains. The site is situated on a sloped land among natural forest. Two large trees with beautifully shaped branches (one is a camphor tree and the other a cherry tree) stand on top of the site. These trees are integrated into the residential design.
Mar y Tierra is a restaurant that provides Spanish cuisine and wine. It stands at the end of the back alley with high level visibility.
Spanish buildings’ usage change with lapse of time. And you can see this from the appearance of the buildings’ exterior or as a total. There are many interesting building examples where the old and the new coexist well. This time, we were inspired by this present Spain, when designing Mar y Tierra.
The site is located on a corner lot of a fancy residential area on a hill, and faces toward sloped roads on the west and north sides. This residential area was developed about a half century ago. As time has passed, small-scale developments have been undertaken due to dividing and uniting lots.
This medical welfare college is located in front of Himeji station. This building is considered as not just a medical welfare college but also an information center about medical and welfare for neighborhood. Therefore, the entrance lounge is used not only as student’s communication space but also people’s counseling space and the auditorium is also used as rehabilitation and eurhythmics lecture space.
Evening view of the north facade (Image Courtesy Yoshihisa Araki)