shigeru ban subtracts circular courtyard from villa sengokubara

shigeru ban subtracts circular courtyard from villa sengokubara
all images courtesy of shigeru ban

wrapped around a circular courtyard the ‘residential villa at sengokubara’ designed by japanese architect shigeru ban features a sloping roof joining its interior spaces. located in hakone, kanagawa, japan the recently completed house offers a direct relationship to the surrounding landscape. the cube-shaped volume has a round subtracted middle, which visually provides a strong contrast between the two geometries. facing onto the garden, the open plan rooms directly access the courtyard’s central tree. along the edge of the building views look out towards a separate private garden. the gently curving roof is constructed from a single piece of material varying in height from 2.4m  (approx. 7′-10″) to 7.5m (approx. 23′-0″) at its highest point. the dark exterior volume contains a warm and natural living environment with carefully crafted wooden details applied throughout.

the structure features a black curving roof with circular courtyard (left) the house opens to the outside on both sides (right)

the ceiling varies in height as it wraps around joining the open plan interior of villa at sengokubara by shigeru ban

warm natural materials are used throughout with carefully crafted wooden details