miurashin architect + associates: house at the mountain

‘house at mountain’ by miurashin architect + associates in karuizawa, japan all images courtesy miurashin architect + associates image © daici ano

tokyo-based practice miurashin architect + associates has sent us images of ‘house at mountain’, a multi-storey dwelling set on a hillside in karuizawa, japan. heavily influenced by the lush scenery and presence of trees, the design aims to establish a sense of balance on the steep site by orienting the interior with a mixture of vertical posts and windows.

in context image © daici ano

geometric in form, the dark-stained house is described and revealed in volumes: from the upper road level, a small bridge leads to the top storey of the dwelling which conceals itself as a pavilion-like structure among the trees. the design lengthens as the land lowers and again terminates with a small footprint to lightly rest on the topography. large windows facing southwards establish views of the trees from the crown to their base.

image © daici ano

bridge from upper road image © daici ano

entrance image © daici ano

conceived as an abstraction of the forest itself, the interior is finished with exposed framework which wraps around the walls and ceiling. the communal programs are linearly arranged on the middle floor

and benefit from the natural sunlight gained through the floor to ceiling windows. establishing a sense of connection between the inhabitants and the forest, the gradually widening floor shape projects the interior outwards. on the roof level, a generous outdoor space is generated through a series of tiered stages.

interior view image © daici ano