Silver Architecture · 2025
Eternal Residential House
- Silver A' Design Award 2025 in Architecture
- CLIENT: Metaph Architect Associates
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 19,736
- Verification code 62BFD2D166 · Verify this award
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About Eternal Residential House
Eternal is a residential house built on a sloping site in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The elevation difference is used to place volumes both below and above ground, forming a continuous space from the basement to the upper floors. The basement holds a garage and a hobby room, while the living areas are above the first floor. A large opening on the south side brings in daylight and distant views while limiting sight lines from the street. The structure combines reinforced concrete below ground with large-section laminated timber and metal joints above.
About the Silver A' Design Award
Eternal Residential House is a Silver A' Design Award winner, an extraordinarily prestigious recognition granted to top-of-the-line, gorgeous, and impressive designs. Silver winners are tremendously brilliant and exceedingly creative works that illustrate the outstanding expertise, talent, and acuity of their designers. Eternal Residential House is expected to be a wonderful, showpiece work that is remarkably professional and profoundly innovative. This Silver A' Design Award-winning design is a highly notable, admired invention that benefits and advances the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Eternal Residential House is a vastly envied creation that evokes desires, introduces positive feelings, and sparks amazement and wonderment.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Taking advantage of the site's elevation difference, this house creates a spatial experience that continues from underground to above ground. The distinctive floating design creates the exterior, and the open view from the south and natural light bring comfort to the residents and provide a special, eternal time. The limitations of the terrain are transformed into a rich space, making this a one-of-a-kind home that is one with nature.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Site area 389.80m2, Scale 368.29m2, Reinforced concrete construction underground, 2 floors above ground Wooden construction, planned with a wooden rigid frame structure in mind for low carbonization. Wooden construction often relies on the walls for strength, making it difficult to create large openings, but by carrying out detailed structural calculations it is possible to design large spaces and large openings.
- Tags
- Villa, House, Residence, Wood, Architecture
- Production Technology
- Complex and bold spatial structures make the building unstable. In order to safely construct this open house, thorough structural analysis was carried out, and it was constructed to be strong and safe using large-section laminated timber and metal joints. In Japan, a country prone to earthquakes, where wooden structures are widely used, structural calculations are extremely important and the utmost consideration was given to them.
- Design Challenge
- As an urban residential area, it is the realization of a rich life that can be obtained through the openness of the house and ensures the privacy of the residents. It realizes the low carbon demand required for wooden structures and creates a design with a high degree of openness. Furthermore, it is a big challenge to ensure excellent design while ensuring earthquake resistance in Japan, a safe earthquake-resistant country.
- Research
- This study examines design methods aimed at achieving both safety and comfort in residential architecture with large windows, and harmonizing with the local environment. Through questionnaire surveys and tours, the aim is to investigate the psychological impact of organic architectural design that gives a sense of connection with nature, and to propose ideal residential architectural design.
- Inspiration
- This architecture makes the most of the elevation difference of the site, pursuing stability and harmony. Taking advantage of the elevation difference from the road, we placed volume on both the above-ground and basement levels. This allows the building to blend into the terrain, harmonizing with its surroundings while still emanating a distinctive presence. The dynamic spatial composition created by the elevation difference creates a one-of-a-kind architectural beauty.
- Project Duration
- The project will take place in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, with construction commencing in September 2023 and completed in October 2024.
- Operation Flow
- The basement is used as a garage and hobby room. The living space is located above the first floor. It is an open house, but a large opening is placed on the south side to avoid eye contact with passersby, and because it is on high ground, it is also possible to enjoy the view.
- Patents
- Copyrights
- Image Credits
- Michihiro Matsuo, METAPH ARCHITECT ASSOCIATES
