Gold Architecture, Building and Structure Design · 2023
House in Yamate Residential House
- A' Design Award 2023 Gold Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Awarded April 15, 2023
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 30,603
- Verification code 0D610E8AF5 · Verify this award
About House in Yamate Residential House
They studied the angles of the summer and winter sunrises entering the site, and designed a floor plan that captures the sunrise throughout the year. The walls were glazed to create a sunrise-filled living space. Then, to protect the living space from the summer sun and rain, they planned an independent large roof. The roof is not an enclosed space, but an open space where wind and consciousness can pass through. They hope that with the construction of this building, the residents will feel more light and wind than ever before, and that their daily life will be better.
Emerging from the rich tradition of contemporary residential design that celebrates the profound dialogue between shelter and openness, House in Yamate Residential House by Tatsuhiro Nishimoto exemplifies the sophisticated synthesis of material warmth and spatial transparency that distinguishes the most accomplished domestic architecture of our era. The work demonstrates remarkable sensitivity to the phenomenological experience of dwelling, employing an expansive cedar-lined ceiling that appears to float effortlessly above walls of glass, creating an enveloping canopy that extends protective shelter while maintaining generous visual connection to the surrounding environment. The architect's technical command manifests in the precise detailing of the black steel mullion system, which provides structural definition while remaining visually recessive, allowing the warm timber surfaces to dominate the sensory experience. The central skylight aperture introduces an element of cosmic connection, framing views of the ever-changing sky and introducing natural illumination that varies throughout the day, while the reflecting pool in the foreground establishes a contemplative dimension, its still waters creating meditative reflections that enhance the dwelling's poetic resonance. The interior spatial organization, glimpsed through the transparent envelope, reveals a carefully orchestrated sequence of living areas, transitional screens, and vertical circulation elements that suggest both domestic functionality and spatial generosity. The work's photography captures a particularly evocative temporal moment when artificial interior illumination achieves perfect balance with the fading natural light, transforming the architecture into a glowing presence that speaks to fundamental human desires for warmth, shelter, and connection. Viewers might contemplate how the interplay of natural materials, geometric precision, and atmospheric sensitivity creates spaces that nourish both body and spirit, inviting reflection on the essential qualities that transform mere building into meaningful dwelling.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The angle of the sunrise at the summer and winter solstices entering the site was investigated, and a floor plan was designed to allow the sunrise to enter the building, with glass walls. Then, in order to protect the living space from the summer sun and rain, an independent large roof was planned. By creating an independent roof, we thought that the space would not be closed, but would be an open space where wind and consciousness could pass through.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- To give the appearance of a large roof supported by four pillars, H-shaped steel beams (250 x 250) were used for the beams, which were hidden inside the roof. In addition, to avoid making the columns too thick, circular steel columns of 267.4 x 12.7 (STK400) were used. In this way, the relationship between the stable roof and the independent house was stabilized.
- Tags
- House,Residential, Japan, Roof, Wood,
- Production Technology
- A new RC digging garage was built at the location facing the road on the east side. The frame of the garage is also the foundation of the steel-frame structure. The residential portion is a wooden structure, completely separated from the steel structure. By completely separating the two structures, the residential portion was made independent, and was designed to take advantage of the different characteristics of each.
- Project Duration
- The project started in Iwakuni in June 2018 and finished in December 2021
- Inspiration
- The site was an old development subdivision with a lowered east side. It was surrounded by houses. The height of the site is one level higher than the houses on the east side, and we wanted to create a plan that would allow the sunrise to enter the living space when standing on the site. When I visited Varanasi in India when I was a student, I saw people praying for the sunrise by scooping water from the Ganges River with both hands. I wanted to create a living space filled with such light.
- Image Credits
- photo:Kenji Masunaga