T3

This house was designed for an European artist who has a high appreciation of Japanese architecture. It is located in the city of Kamakura, a land with historical roots in Japan. It is also a popular sight seeing are for tourists. The residence overlooks the beach below filled with sunbathers during the summer, and also offers a view of Mt. Fuji, Japan’s most symbolic representation, in the distance. The client has a fine sense for collecting art, and enjoys the ritual of Japanese tea ceremony. Having bases in New York and Paris, this residence in Japan was built as a home of residence to settle. Two Japanese style rooms were designed to function as a guest room for their many guests visiting from overseas. The request for the room was to use traditional Japanese designs and materials that would make both guest and the owner feel truly comfortable and ‘at home’.

The front of the house and the finishes in each area integrate details distinctive of Japanese architecture. The traditional Sukiya style shape of the eaves of the roof can only be seen in Japanese architecture. The delicate but sharp shape of each tile forms continuous wave of beautiful expression. Japanese architecture is crafted to reflect the best expression of the original material. The interior follows the same concept by placing more emphasis on expressing the natural finishes of the material, rather than the design itself. Traditional materials such as Japanese granite and paper have been used for the interior of the rooms. To maintain privacy the residence is closed off from the main road, while the direction with the best view of the landscape has been opened. The house was designed so that other building structures cannot be seen, creating an atmosphere of being free and in nature, away from the crowds. The combination of the aesthetic beauty of Japanese architecture and the stylish sense of European interior design has produced a most beautiful and comfortable home.