masato sekiya has designed a contemporary interpretation of a traditional fishing cabin on the tens riverbank in nara, japan. nestled in the omine mountains, tenkawa village is surrounded by beautiful natural elements. these surroundings and the river’s sharp edge, would prove to be of the highest importance and main influence for the architect’s final design. the site included 6 square meters of flat terrain before beginning a steep 17 meter incline towards the river.
the structure’s six meter cantilever over the riverbank’s steep incline
images courtesy of planet creations architecture design
preliminary concepts for the design experimented with building upwards, but masato sekiya realized early on that this vision would cause the natural scenery to inevitably suffer. ‘my solution was to dig down nearly to the bedrock and sink the building into the ground, then extend it out into the air over the river.’ sekiya explained, ‘the key to the structure is the creation of balance. it has a structure like a balance, installed on flat bedrock, with a ruffle concrete pillar as a fulcrum, and a mass of concrete to be a counterweight.’
the site allows for close proximity and easy accessibility to the water’s edge
the partitioned interior can be transformed to cater to the resident’s daily needs. the cantilevered deck, living room, and bedroom can be combined to a single, uninterrupted space — letting the natural light and green views travel throughout the length of the interior. from the road, the structure’s green roof and car park are the only elements of the home that are visible, allowing the living space below to remain open without jeopardizing one’s sense of personal privacy.
concrete pillars extending almost to the earth’s bedrock stabilize the concrete cantilever
natural light enters through the open-faced deck and into the rest of the elongated interior
partitions between the deck, living room, and bedroom can open, creating a unified main interior space
from the villa’s interior one can see the ‘eye is virgin’ forest and tens river
the villa blends into its surrounding, maintaining a sense of balance
instead of building upwards, the residence sits below ground level
from street level, only the structure’s green roof is visible to those to pass, preserving the natural scenery
project info:
project name: cliff house
location: yoshino, nara
architects: planet creations sekiya masato architecture design
lead architects: masato sekiya
project year: 2015
main use: weekend house
structure: reinforced concrete
total area: 70.25 m2
building area: 72.68 m2
site area: 160.01 m2
architecture in japan (518 articles)
sho sasaki/INTERMEDIA completes japanese nursing home with triangular wooden canopy
arbol design connects two family houses in tokyo with bauhaus-inspired garage
'bespoke' hotel opens its doors in shinjuku, tokyo, with unique identity by artless inc.
architecture news
translucent conference center by selgascano appears as a luminous form
#architecture
on the outskirts of a medieval town in western spain, a giant, boulder-shaped volume emerges out of the undulating terrain.
on the outskirts of a medieval town in western spain, a giant, boulder-shaped volume emerges out of the undulating terrain.
the 'bunker' project by martin marro is an oil tank you can live in
#architecture
in his latest work, the architect has taken an old gas oil tank and converted it into a capsule for living in argentina.
in his latest work, the architect has taken an old gas oil tank and converted it into a capsule for living in argentina.
bezalel academy targets 2022 opening for its SANAA-designed campus
#architecture
to be known as the 'jack, joseph and morton mandel campus', the project is located in jerusalem's russian compound on a hill overlooking the old city.
to be known as the 'jack, joseph and morton mandel campus', the project is located in jerusalem's russian compound on a hill overlooking the old city.
this school in perthes-en-gâtinais comprises multiple gabled wooden volumes
#architecture
'school la rouche' by tracks architectes is located in a green pedestrian area, in the heart of the historic town of perthes-en-gâtinais, in the south of region »
'school la rouche' by tracks architectes is located in a green pedestrian area, in the heart of the historic town of perthes-en-gâtinais, in the south of region seine and marne, france.