Project: Shizuoka House
Architecture: Ayami Takada Architects
Construction: Kato-Kensetsu
Structural Design: ASA
Location: Shizuoka, Japan
Area: 199 m²
Year: 2023
Photo credits: Vincent Hecht
The site at the corner of an urbanization control area has no neighboring buildings next to it, and the expanse of space of the surrounding roads and fields gives the impression of occupied space, even though the ownership is different, and in fact, the space is used in an expansive manner. Although the existing building was relatively new, there were many areas that needed to be improved in terms of specifications and layout, and since the client wished to change their residence, we planned to create a completely different environment through expansion and renovation rather than rebuilding.
Taking advantage of the topography of the river breakwater bank and the privilege of having a panoramic view of the landscape beyond, we added a transparent box that creates a gentle boundary between the inside and outside.
The first floor of the existing building was extended to create a spacious living room, around which a buffer with the garden and terrace was added by three types of translucent spaces made of polycarbonate, creating a layered composition.
Each translucent space was designed according to its use, just as plastic greenhouses on farmland are designed to have different performances depending on the variety and time of year in which they are grown.
The roof of the approach to the entrance is made of polycarbonate with different degrees of transparency, allowing soft light to filter through the trees. The eaves of the carport, which are designed as an integral part of the building and do not detract from the exterior, form a bright and cozy place that is not exposed to direct sunlight.
A sunroom enclosed in polycarbonate is planned outside the laundry room, with a flip-up folding door and horizontal folding door that can be used as eaves, and an earthen floor for sitting, creating a continuous space with the garden.
The sunroom is equipped with a solar power generation system that does not require a power supply and can be used even during dark hours by hanging light from a clothesline.
The translucent walls of the south-facing, large-opening, view-enhancing detached house are bright during the day even without lighting, and at night the exterior walls emit light like lanterns, illuminating the surroundings and transforming the rural landscape. In the living room, which extends three-dimensionally, family members can spend their time as they wish in an integrated space that creates a sense of appropriate distance, and a diversity of different shapes, colors, and textures.
