One’s desire of the home might be clearer once the future location is settled. Takeshi Hirobe Architects in Japan created a house based on wood and glass for their client who requested a comfortable house in a very special location.
The client’s wishes were few but well defined: a spacious living, dining and kitchen, a bathroom facing the ocean, a guest room, and a spare room. However, the vision of the architects refined even more what they wanted the house to be once they saw the surroundings. The Tokyo Bay waters influenced the design, as well as the sun, the wind and the subtle tide, the mountains and the plants covering them. The house was to reflect all of these elements.
Using a structure that includes timber panels and trusses, the architects angled the walls obliquely. This was supposed to emphasize the generous space of the house. The purpose of the giant glass walls on the extreme sides of this uniquely shaped house is to connect the mountains on one side to the ocean on the opposite side. This way, the sensation is that the house is a tunnel from the ocean to the mountains and that the interior is actually an outdoor space.
The central area, guest room and spare room (all being required by the client) created an outdoor space that was transformed in a central courtyard separated by the interior by glass walls. This ingenious outdoor living is perfect for parties because it is more of a social area, than a true garden. Moreover, this courtyard was designed to hold water just like a basin for more natural reflections.
The shape of the house was determined by the expectations the client and the architects had about this house. The result is a wood house with a non-conventional shape and connected to the natural surroundings.
