yasutaka yoshimura architects: nowhere but sajima

‘nowhere but sajima’ by yasutaka yoshimura architects all images courtesy yasutaka yoshimura architects

‘nowhere but sajima’ by japanese yasutaka yoshimura architects, is a vacation residence located an hour distance from tokyo. it is a rare site situated adjacent to the ocean and mt. fuji and enoshima can be seen on the opposite shore. constructed with reinforced concrete the three storey residence features windows of all different shapes and sizes. the side facing towards the ocean is the northern area, and a road with a row of condominiums and heavy traffic run by its side. while the large building aperture enables an open view to the ocean, it also draws all the attention from the road and condominiums. several tubes are connected to form one room, and conversely, one tube is shared by two rooms.

in the evening

the building is juts out onto the pacific ocean – as if suspended over water

the lounge

the lounge and kitchen area

views looking out onto the ocean

a sliding bookshelf provides privacy between rooms

opening directly onto the ocean, the living quarters on the ground floor flow across four of the tubes

sunlight passes through the circular hole on the 3rd floor or seeps in softly between furniture and the ceiling, so there is no need to light any lamps during the daytime

the bathroom overlooking the water

plan

section view

site plan

to provide adequate privacy without the use of curtains, narrow tube-shaped spaces were bundled together and angled to provide openings toward the sea.

project info:

architects: yasutaka yoshimura architects type: vacation rental residence location: yokosuka city, kanagawa prefecture, japan materials: three-story reinforced concrete construction construction area: 1,422 square feet (132.09m²) site area: 688 square feet (63.88m²) total floor area: 1,872 square feet (173.96m²)