2406 / four rooms and a roof

Located in close vicinity to the mount Asama, the area of Kita-Karuizawa presents us with an untouched dynamic mineral landscape with large sloping contours. In such conditions, programs such as holiday houses tend to be placed on the highest possible point of their plot, aiming to take advantage of a possible panoramic view that overlooks the surrounding nature.

In our proposal, we strategically aimed for just the opposite, seeking for a relationship with the nature that transcends the mere visual. Placed at the lowest point of the site, the house establishes a close intimacy with the valley-like surroundings. Such proximities unachieved in the higher parts of the site create a variety of relation with the nature. The planning of the house echoes this multiplicity, as a set of four rooms hidden under a single roof. With each its own distinct form and experience, the house as a whole can be seen as a collection of ways to live together with the nature, both visually and tactilely.

Location

Kita-Karuizawa, Japan

Client

NOTAHOTEL

Type

Residential

Status

Competition

Surface

500m²

In collaboration with Henri de Chassey and Jonathan Zwygart