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CHAPTER 1

BORROWED LANDSCAPES

PUTTING NATURE IN THE DESIGN

This section looks at projects that incorporate nature in the design, quite literally, whether by including actual trees and gardens as natural ‘green curtains’ or by employing the age-old Japanese concept of shakkei, or ‘borrow landscape’, in which exterior nature views are made part of the interior experience of the home.

Architecture and nature were closely linked in traditional Japanese building. In pre-modern Japan, houses were made of renewable natural materials and gardens were features in high-end houses as well as at the heart of dense working-class city blocks. The dense concrete urbanity of contemporary Japan has taken much of the green out of everyday life. A garden has now become something one occasionally visits.

American biologist and naturalist E. O. Wilson has hypothesized that human beings have an instinctive bond with other living systems, that is, nature. According to Wilson, “Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.” Our living spaces should reflect this natural affinity, bringing in natural light, fresh air and a sense of place.

Can bringing nature into the home really make people happier and homes healthier and more sustainable? These projects suggest that it does. Yasushi Horibe’s House in Tateshina frames nature as an ever-changing work of art. Uemachi Laboratory’s House in Nara echoes and embellishes its tranquil garden setting. With a small footprint, natural materials and a unique design open to and respectful of its verdant and historic environment, acaa’s House in Kita-Kamakura adds to the already abundant beauty of its surroundings. Rhythmdesign’s House in Raizan Forest floats on a hill in a forest, creating tree-filled views and the lightest footprint possible. And in a dense Tokyo suburb, architect café brings a bit of rural greenery in its House in Komae.

HOUSE IN KITA-KAMAKURA

ARCHITECT ACAA—KAZUHIKOKISHIMOTO

LOCATION KITA-KAMAKURA, KANAGAWA PREFECTURE

COMPLETION 2008

Asymmetrical openings are strategically placed for function as well as creating a playful profile to the neighborhood.

This house is set in one of the loveliest parts of Kamakura, an ancient capital encircled by rolling green hills and the sea. Modern Kamakura is a lively community attracting an eclectic mix of artists, artisans, surfers, Zen Buddhists and quite a number of young architects, inspired by the traditional architecture and creative atmosphere of the area. Within commuting distance of Tokyo, it is a place where many dream of having a house. Unsurprisingly, space is limited and land hard to find and expensive. So when you have a plot in the very sought-after area of Kita-Kamakura (North Kamakura), you do not quibble about an irregularly shaped site, you simply figure out how to make the most of it.

To this end, the owners chose wisely in architect Kazuhiko Kishimoto, founder of architectural studio acca. Specializing in residential architecture, acca’s approach mixes an international outlook with a strong sense of place. Kishimoto considers the house as the purest expression of architecture’s relationship with the land. He credits the work of Australian architect Glenn Murcutt, known for articulating the qualities of site into architecture, as an influence on his own designs. Likewise, acca pays close attention to the precise setting, environment and climate of each project and works closely with those who do the physical building: the carpenters, metalworkers and plasterers. Their designs offer contemporary interpretations of vernacular forms with a decidedly Japanese focus on detail and craftsmanship. The result is a portfolio of finely wrought houses that fit beautifully into their surroundings.

Kita-Kamakura is characterized by a series of narrow valleys with tendrils of roads dotted with temples, shrines and individual homes. This house is located not far from a Buddhist temple dating to the fourteenth century, the picturesque Meigetsu-in. The valley leading to the temple features several distinct houses, none more eye-catching than this elongated structure. The plot is long but, due to zoning regulations the building’s footprint must be less than three meters wide. In such a tight spot, it is important to build with respect for neighbors, creating something that participates in and adds to a verdant but densely populated area.

ACAA makes the most of this unusual plot, giving the house a curved serpentine footprint and an elegant two-story profile 23 meters long and a mere 2.7 metres wide. The exterior’s cladding echoes the Japanese charred wood technique, which was traditionally used for water-, fire- and bug-proofing (see page 232). Silvery black wood articulates the exterior, catching the light at varying angles along the home’s undulating façade. Glimpses of a light wood interior add to the asymmetrical rhythm of the profile.

Irregular openings add expression to the exterior and help to control light, heat and privacy in the interior. Inside, the surrounding landscape comes from varied angles as each window is carefully placed to optimize views from the interior and maximize privacy from the exterior.

The balcony juts forth, creating a sheltered parking space below.

The blackened vertical planks balance the horizontal line of the house.

The upper floor kitchen leads to a raised sitting area.

Bamboo grows in the interior courtyard.

Plan and cross-section: The house may be only three meters wide, yet the house has 108.06 square meters of living space over various levels.

Dark and light woods contrast throughout and are complemented by leafy views.

The house’s curved serpentine footprint creates unique site lines.

Each window is carefully placed to optimize views from the interior and maximize privacy from the exterior.

With a site area of 173.92 square meters, the house creates 108.06 square meters of floor space. The space of the lower floor is defined by stained black wood, while upstairs is light and open. Ceiling heights vary throughout, creating spaces that are at once open but still offer a degree of privacy. The layout has unexpected connections and inclusions. For instance, a small glazed courtyard sits between the family space to the front of the house and the tranquil back end that contains the main bedroom and tatami room above. Filled with bamboo trees, the courtyard allows light to filter in from above, giving even the most private nook of the house dappled leafy natural light all year round.

Like the prow of a ship, a front-end balcony juts out overlooking the neighborhood to the forested hills beyond. Openings above and to the side continue the structure’s play of open and closed, public and private, while removable sudare blinds can block summer heat. The balcony is balanced on slim pillars, creating shaded exterior space below.

The overall asymmetrical design creates a sense of balance: contrast + contrast = visual harmony. With a small footprint, natural materials and a unique design open to and respectful of its lush and historic environment, the house adds to the already abundant beauty of its surroundings.

SMALL FOOTPRINT

NATURAL MATERIALS

BORROWED LANDSCAPE

RESPECTFUL OF CONTEXT/GOOD NEIGHBOR

Views of the verdant Kamakura hills from the kitchen/dining area.

The bamboo courtyard adds interior green and visually connects the varying areas and levels of the house.

HOUSE IN KOMAE

ARCHITECT ARCHITECT CAFÉ—MIKIO TAI

LOCATION KOMAE, TOKYO

COMPLETION 2013

The multi-part house occupies less than half the site, leaving the rest for gardens.

The House in Komae’s design aims to create a countryside-like atmosphere in a dense suburb of Tokyo. The architect, Mikio Tai, founder of architect café, took inspiration from the Japanese engawa (see page 80), an intermediary corridor-like space between house and garden in traditional Shoin architecture, to explore how the house would interact with its surroundings in all four seasons. As the architect explained: “Though the area has many green and vacant spaces, most buildings are closely packed,” leaving little space for green. In order to bring a sense of nature into the daily life of the house, he aimed to “create a new relationship between inside and outside”.

The house plot, at 257 square meters, is relatively large for Tokyo. Land is expensive in Tokyo and thus most builders try to use every centimeter of ground permitted by law to build the biggest house possible. The House in Komae’s design bucked this trend and instead offered a multi-part house plan occupying less that half of the site (only 101 square meters), leaving the rest of the land for trees, garden and exterior courtyards. The result is a unique two-story home with 154.66 square meters of living space and green views from every room.

Clad in red cedar, the house is composed of four boxes of different sizes and functions that are connected to each other by ancillary corridors, exterior courtyards and a long garden along the east side of the house. The layout is designed to ensure all spaces open to courtyards and/or gardens.

The largest of four boxes connected by corridors, courtyards and gardens.

The double-height living/kitchen/dining area opens onto an inner courtyard.

The first box is a single-level garage, which faces the street. Next to it, a freestanding cedar wall discreetly shields the flagstone path that leads to the main entrance at the side of the second box. This extra high single-level structure is where guests are greeted and shoes and coats are removed. A short glass corridor leads along a courtyard into the largest two-story volume, containing the heart of the house: a double-height living/kitchen/dining area with stairs leading up to a loft-like balcony and a small bedroom. Broad glazed openings on both levels overlook the courtyard. The final box holds three bedrooms. The ground floor contains the master bedroom and bathroom and there are two bedrooms above. Corridors connect both levels to the main building.

The interior employs a pale Japanese ash wood for floors, storage units and some ceilings, creating a contrast with the dark reddish cedar exterior. Flat roofs are covered with gravel, which acts as natural insulation and echoes the gravel used in the gardens. The gardens and several mature trees on the site offer welcome shade in summer and allow more light into the house in winter.

The life of the house can take place inside or out depending on season and weather but will always have some connection to its natural surroundings. “This,” said the architect, “is part of the sustainable spirit of Japanese architecture.”

ECO MATERIALS

SMALL FOOTPRINT

DESIGN ADDS GREENERY

TRADITIONAL GREEN DESIGN

Engawa-inspired corridors link interior spaces and visually connect the inside and outside.