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Sakura / Mount Fuji Architects Studio

By Nico Saieh — Filed under: Houses , Selected , , , ,
 

© Ryota Atarashi

Architects: Mount Fuji Architects Studio
Location: Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
Site area: 131.41 sqm
Building area: 75.43 sqm
Total floor area: 279.58 sqm
Project Year: 2006
Photographs: Ryota Atarashi

A home office for a couple planned in a residential neighborhood in Meguro.

The site is situated in an area where land costs are among the highest in Tokyo.The area is typically cluttered, like most residential areas in downtown Tokyo.It is hard to say that quality of living environment deserves the price of land.

© Ryota Atarashi

I felt that creating a better living environment was a top priority upon squeezing in yet another house into this neighborhood. What came to my mind were the two classic ‘Glass Houses’※ by Mies and Philip Johnson. The sense of freedom and openness that makes us want to walk naked inside these houses surely owes to the transparency of the glass itself, but it is the fact that the buildings are surrounded by a pleasant environment –the forest– that counts the most.Since ‘the forest’ itself already provides a comfortable living environment, it is left for the architecture to separate internal to external atmospheres with thin, transparent membranes.They clealy demonstrate that as long as there is an environment suitable for living, a ‘house’ is no more necessary.

© Ryota Atarashi

façade axo

What I looked to create here was a presence that would replace this ‘forest’.

More precisely, I attempted to generate a quality living environment by placing two large, swirled belt-shaped surfaces on the premises.The pair consists of self-standing walls measuring 7.5 m and 5 m high respectively, made of lace-like steel 3 mm thick that filters light like sunshine through foliage, with holes punched out in a floral pattern depicting cherry blossoms, a traditional Ise paper stencil pattern.

© Ryota Atarashi

As we make our way into the abstracted forest of cherry blossoms, we are greeted by an ‘environment filled with “anticipation” for a living comfort.’ There, nothing can be found that suggests a ‘setup’ of a ‘house‘. The place is a pure ‘living environment’ and is neither a symbol called ‘house’ nor a ‘residential area.’

A bright depth, beyond the reach of urbanism, is born in Tokyo.

* Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
 

7 reactions on Twitter »

4:36 AM Mar 5th

RT @archdaily: Sakura / Mount Fuji Architects Studio http://archdai.ly/bgivFT

9:19 AM Mar 5th

http://bit.ly/ayY1Nc — Intimnost in odprtost je v Tokiju težko združiti. Razen če prostor ločiš s polprosojnimi, dekorativnimi membranami.

10:20 AM Mar 5th

Sakura / Mount Fuji Architects Studio http://bit.ly/cfZfHf

1:29 PM Mar 9th

I wanna live there.love it! RT @archdaily Sakura / Mount Fuji Architects Studio http://archdai.ly/bgivFT

11:32 AM Apr 14th

Mount Fuji Architects Studio's Sakura House is heart-achingly beautiful. http://tinyurl.com/y9a6wel

11:39 AM Apr 14th

RT @missandrealuise: Mount Fuji Architects Studio's Sakura House is heart-achingly beautiful. http://tinyurl.com/y9a6wel

11:49 AM Apr 14th

RT @architectderek: RT @missandrealuise: Mount Fuji Architects Studio's Sakura House is heart-achingly beautiful. http://tinyurl.com/y9a6wel

10 comments »

Thumb up Thumb down 0
Michael says:

Beautiful detailing.
The screen wall and the internal glazed facade are amazing.
The tolerances in that glazed wall must be minute.
Poor builder!!! They did an amazing job though.
Would love to see this in real life.
That night shot is pretty impressive too.

 
# March 5, 2010 at 00:08
Thumb up Thumb down 0
A Sphere says:

termite’s heaven
lol

 
# March 5, 2010 at 01:27
Thumb up Thumb down 0
igor says:

Very nice, but what about sunligt. Can sameone explain to me what “sus” means (I know it is kind of composite material resistant to all weather conditions).

 
# March 5, 2010 at 03:43
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totot says:

Excuse me but the parallel with the glass house doesn’t hold,from the photos it just looks like other modern tokyo houses, greatly detailed but claustrophobic, at least from a western side of “view”.

 
# March 5, 2010 at 05:45
Thumb up Thumb down 0
xirclebox says:

Sakura / Mount Fuji Architects Studio http://bit.ly/bcZH5n /cc @feedly

 
# March 5, 2010 at 10:30
Thumb up Thumb down 0
ltv says:

Im not that interested in the screens themselves, although I do appreciate the contemporary interpretation to the point and manufacturing of the traditional shoji screen. I do appreciate the spatial quality in such a small site. Thats well done!

 
# March 5, 2010 at 10:26
Thumb up Thumb down 0

I'd Live Here: Sakura. http://bit.ly/b3k3eN

 
# March 5, 2010 at 19:31
Thumb up Thumb down 0
Gatz says:

Very nice!

 
# March 6, 2010 at 09:32
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arnold says:

excelent work. a bit old, but very good. a house for a young couple or for single one.

(interesting, what the owners will do, if they accidentally will have some chidren? where do they live in this house? yes, I understand, that japanese young people carefully plans they future and if they intend to have baby, they will built another new house, adapted to the bigger family).

otherwise, this building is very and very good for 20-35(?) age people.

 
# March 6, 2010 at 19:50
Thumb up Thumb down 0
sri says:

very nice

 
# May 7, 2010 at 03:12

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