KURAKUEN

2001 -

This house is placed on a steep slope, generally over 30 degrees. I intended to bring the traits peculiar to slopes into a part of the interior. The study on the second floor offers a long, wide view. The panorama, facing Osaka Bay, encompasses an area where ten million people live. The living room, also on the second floor, is like a cave, facing piloti and solid rock; the floor, wall and a winding stair are all finished in a single material, a polished artificial stone, to intensify the cave-like sense of this space. The bath, finished with mosaic tile, is set below a canopy of foliage floating in the air. The bedroom is hidden under the first floor; it is surrounded by a glass wall. Within the room is a large, built-up stone retaining wall; through the glass, columns lean at random angles, a grove of trees beyond. A soft green light reflected from the trees fills the room.

location Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Pref.
principal use residence
completion date 2001
total floor area 187m2
structure steel frame, reinforced concrete, partly steel reinforced concrete
1 basement and 3 stories