Hafye

This residence is located in an area that places houses on different elevations, as if it was a stairwell. Half of the land is flat, but half of the land is on a slope. Odawara Castle, built in the 15th century is nearby. The city known for the castle, has developed economically over the years. Odawara overlooks Sagami Bay, and in the distance a view of Enoshima can be seen. The client, born and raised in Odawara, wanted to build a comfortable home where he could enjoy the familiar landscape that is continuously changing with the times. We proposed a ‘mid-air box’ design concept, with the image of a box being ‘lifted up’ for the living quarters on the second floor. We also thought of how to bring the magnificent view in to each room. The three elements of entrance, guest room and music rooms needed to be located on the first floor, which was the reason for having the living spaces in ‘mid-air’ on the second floor. The three elements for the first floor were placed underneath the two boxes of the living space as if they were the legs of the box. The legs are connected by a large slab of concrete overhead that looks as if it drops down into the road to form a single slab of concrete. On top, the light wood-framed box structure for the living area was built. The children’s bedroom is located on the road side where the land is sloped diagonally. Directly below is the path that leads to the piano room for the students attending a piano lesson. Passing the dimly lit entrance and by climbing the stairwell beyond the path, the magnificent view opens up through the large opening, and a space surrounded by light appears. The rooms that connect with another are softly divided by differing floor and ceiling elevations. This enables a view of the ever changing scenery and brings in the natural light in different forms. The box elevated by the strong structure creates a home in ‘mid-air’ that emanates the scent of nature and a passing of time that is eternal.