PROJECT NAME
T HOUSE
CATEGORY
HOUSE
YEAR
2012.11
AREA
Toumi-shi, Nagano
OUTLINE
Residential home located on a hillside. Although not conventionally where you would expect to find a home, the location has a special significance for the homeowner and the design aims to take full advantage of the unique location.
Located on a hillside overlooking a vineyard, the owners specifically chose this location when looking for a place to open a winery. Since the location was an important factor for the homeowners, instead of focusing on the traditional functionality of a conventional home, the design aimed to create some new value that can only be found in this unique location.
The location, formerly used as terraced rice fields, distinctively has several different levels. The design follows the unique multi-level contour of the landscape and incorporates the necessary functionality to create a unique yet convenient living space. Using a balance of wide, open layouts for areas such as the living room and more compact spaces for areas such as the bathroom results in an effective use of the available space.
Instead of confining the homeowner to a fixed layout, the available environment as well as the background and history of the surrounding landscape is used to bring to life a living space specifically created for the homeowner and the chosen location.
In other words, T HOUSE uses the landscape and its history as a guiding trail and brings out the intrinsic features through the design. In that sense, it can be seen as an exemplary case study for how design can be used to help people take root and feel comfortable in not only their home but the land on which it’s built upon.
In other words, T HOUSE uses the landscape and its history as a guiding trail and brings out the intrinsic features through the design. In that sense, it can be seen as an exemplary case study for how design can be used to help people take root and feel comfortable in not only their home but the land on which it’s built upon.
text by salta
