Photo© Sugino KeiPhoto© Sugino KeiPhoto© Sugino KeiPhoto© Sugino KeiThis house is built in Tatsuno area, which is an old castle town surrounded by mountains in three directions. The site is located in the historical center that once flourished as a post station. The city later developed around the historical center and is now designated as townscape preservation area.
The initial impression I received as I walked through this town was the scenery of mountain, tiled roofs, black and white walls, and the warehouses (for soy sauce). I used these as keywords for designing this house.
The project site once was a station inn. While there are a few houses that have already been renovated, there are still many traditional town houses left in this neighborhood. It seemed only natural to me to design a house that blends into the nature and the townscape.
I studied the basic pattern of typical town houses in this region so that I could re-interpret it in my design. I tried not to destroy the scenery while trying to find the harmony between tradition and modernity, because I believe simply re-building the house in traditional style won’t make it realistic. It would instead, make it look fake, like a movie set.
This house was designed for a family of five people. The white steel sheet walls and the Japanese style tiles are applied on an exterior, while an earthen corridor is provided on the ground floor, connecting the public area and the bedroom. The other bedrooms are located on the first floor. From the earthen corridor, the residents can proceed to the viewing deck via the upper terrace. Due to the fact that this house is located in high-density area, I composed the layout with the central open space, while an earthen floor, the deck, and the lattice create a gentle spatial continuity.
The policy for townscape conservation could in many cases limit the possibility of architectural design. Therefore, I believe one needs to find a way to re-interpret the traditional form into contemporary design.
