Mountains and Openings Residence by EASTERN Design Office

published in: Architecture By Marcia Argyriades, 16 July 2010

Pin It

photo (c) Koichi Torimura

Architects:  Anna Nakamura, Taiyo Jinno // EASTERN Design Office
Project:  Residential with office space
Client: AMERICAN CLUB INTERNATIONAL CO, LTD
Location:  Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Date Completed:  December 2009
Site Area: 711.46 square meters
Total Floor Area: 361.84 square meters
Structural Engineering:  HOJO STRUCTURE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Contractor: Fukasaka Co., Ltd
Photographer: Koichi Torimura

We’ve seen their work before on Yatzer, and to be honest we like their works, apparently it seems that so do you, our dear YatzeReaders.  Eastern Design Office just sent us images of a residential and office space project which they completed in December 2009 in Takarazuka, in the Hyogo prefecture of Japan. 

photo (c) Koichi Torimura

The development is utilized as a design office for a Japanese sneaker brand, as well as the residence of the owner.  The development is built on a sloped hill of a residential district at an elevation of 330 meters.  For architectural reasons the slope of the site has not been flattened instead it has been increased resulting in two separate mounds.  The development overlooks the Osaka plain while it also has breathtaking views of the Osaka plain.  The architects of Eastern Design Office utilized the slope of the hill to the maximum when designing the residence; they took advantage of the eight meter difference in height within the site area and provided privacy for the residential section. 

photo (c) Koichi Torimura

photo (c) Koichi Torimura

The development is built on hard bedrock which lays 1.5 meters below the surface; the foundation is raised on it therefore creating two heaps of soil which create a new topography.  The residence is literally invisible from the upper side of the road, therefore allowing for privacy.  The residential living space has been built between the two separate mounds and therefore creates the first floor of the residence.  The design area is located on the upper story (second floor), and floats above the residential area as it levels out with the entrance and the main road.   

photo (c) Koichi Torimura

Eastern Design Office has designed the architectural for as such to portray waves that overpass the mountains.  According to Eastern “the concept of this architecture is like a voyage setting out.  Is it a dream of a long – distance ship going over high waves or is it a dragon?”  The end user of the architecture feels as if they are slightly floating within this development.  It was designed on intention to give off a feeling of being on a deck of a ship, and not in a house.  The floor plan is L-shaped and the edge of the building protrudes in a large extent from the slope.  Structural columns and walls have been designed in such a way to make one unaware of their existence.  Straight eaves run amidst the curvilinear form of the topography.  The eaves project in a powerful manner not to be beaten by the inherent force of the topography; instead they are thin, thick, short, long and curved.

photo (c) Koichi Torimura

photo (c) Koichi Torimura

The structural framework of the upper floor consists of steel while the first floor is constructed of reinforced concrete.  The upper floor has a 16.5 meter by three meter terrace and “floats” gently above the slope as it creates a deck.   To achieve this, the architects have used two different methods; the revaluation of the trusses, and the concealing of the structural members in the curves.  As the two floors have different programs, meeting the needs of these two spaces was different therefore creating a varying structure.   

photo (c) Koichi Torimura

In order to unify the upper and lower level of the development “the curves of the mountain are made continuous with the curves of the openings.  There are two thin iron plate eaves on the openings: one with the length of 14 meters on the upper floor and the other with 16.5 meters on the lower floor.  The thickness of the iron plate is only 9mm. The straight line of these two eaves emphasizes the expansive spreading horizontal width of this house.  Consequently, this makes you forget that the house is on a sloped site.”  The rolling undulation of the development is part of the architectural design. 

Furthermore, the cold white painted exterior which includes a tint of blue and black has been chosen on intention to correspond with the blue sky and also reflect the light of the newly built heaped mountains.

photo (c) Koichi Torimura

photo (c) Koichi Torimura

photo (c) Koichi Torimura

photo (c) Koichi Torimura

photo (c) Koichi Torimura

photo (c) Koichi Torimura

sources:

EASTERN Design Office
Related Articles
EASTERN Design Office

About EASTERN Design Office

EASTERN Design Office of Anna Nakamura and Taiyo Jinno is a collaborative architectural and design firm in Kyoto, Japan.   The firm was founded in 2003, and ever since they have received various prizes in International competitions.  Their projects range but are not limited to urban planning, commercial and residential architectural design.    The architects of EASTERN possess a remarkable sense of scale.   “Their architectural designs develop a high level of freedom in them on the basis of thorough understanding of this principle.  The architects of EASTERN artfully enjoy the plastic freedom that comes with the scale of residential buildings. It is not that they simply discard unnecessary structure, but rather, on the many disadvantageous sites often seen in Japanese cities, they assert the existence of architecture by first establishing the external reinforced concrete wall.  They then draw what may be observed as random free curves on the wall surface.  If you design the space between a pair of adjacent curves as negative, you obtain an aperture, but if you consider it as positive, it becomes a solid component member.  The two architects of EASTERN will utilize their extraordinary plastic sensibility grounded in Japanese tradition to construct an original and distinguished world of architecture while maintaining their certain sense of scale.”

[official website]
  • friend
    Nicol Chorinopoulou | 2010-07-16 10:53:04

    AMAZING!

  • friend
    Davidikus | 2010-07-16 17:33:30

    The design is breathtaking, from absolutely every angle. Thanks for sharing!

  • friend
    Kris | 2010-07-17 21:04:31

    I don't comment very often but I found myself so compelled I'm just dropping a line, hoping maybe one of the architects or anyone involved might read this: 'Mountains and Openings' is one of the finest residential works I've seen in years.

  • friend
    Nathan Rodriguez | 2010-07-18 04:09:45

    What a cool and challenging design, a lot of uncommon geometric shapes. And the view of the city through the enormous windows is great !

  • friend
    Pippa | 2010-08-04 19:12:28

    Love the curvature and the views of the city, my ideal home!

  • friend
    pieter | 2010-08-06 16:55:55

    the house = the view if you take the view away all you have left is quite an average interior project. to me it misses content. check out Mies, he made better houses with a third of the effort... the back side of the house with the long narrow window is fantastic though.

  • friend
    architecture design | 2010-08-25 13:11:06

    Great design! I like the plain white building. It looks modern and yet warm.

  • friend
    Sanjeev Sabharwal | 2011-02-06 14:21:37

    Excellent, clean and free-flowing spaces due to a sensible (and hidden) structural system. Yet not clinical, but welcoming. This is fine architecture of the highest order!

Your message is awaiting moderation. Thank you. - {x}

Leave a comment

Make sure you enter the * required information where indicated. Please also rate the article as it will help us decide future content and posts. Comments are moderated. Please no link dropping, no keywords or domains as names; do not spam, and do not advertise!