Yo Yamagata Architects

The site is located in a villa area near Kawaguchi Lake. Entering the villa from the entrance and approaching the site through the lush forest, the view suddenly opens up. The surrounding villas are scattered throughout the lush forest, but this site is the only one that has been cleared, with a single coniferous tree about 20 meters high growing on the southern edge. Since there were no trees to block the view from the surrounding road, it was difficult to open the property to the surrounding area unconditionally. Surrounded by a U-shaped curved road, the site has a 3.8-meter difference in elevation, and is a gently sloping site with a slight depression in the shape of a mortar. When I first visited the site, I thought the topography itself was very beautiful. We proceeded with the design while considering how to utilize the beauty of this topography as much as possible.

We came up with the image of a simple rectangular building, long in the east-west direction, floating on the north side of the site, touching the slope. Next, the floor was leveled to follow the slope, and finally, the roof was gently sloped in the same direction as the slope. The plan also has a slightly inclined trapezoidal shape, which gives the building a curious appearance that changes depending on the direction of view.

The pilotis on the first floor can accommodate two cars, and has an entrance, a water closet, and a storage room. The second floor is a one-room space with no door, but the space is divided by the difference in floor level, creating different atmospheres depending on how the door is opened. The view from the street needs to be taken into consideration, so it is difficult to open the space unconditionally like a normal villa, so the view from the street is quite controlled. The terrace, which can be accessed from the outside, is not protruding outward, but rather is recessed into the volume of the building. The roof is covered and a hip wall rises on the exterior wall side, creating an outside room that is almost like an enclosed interior space where one can feel the pleasantness of the outside air.