Perched on the edge of a cliff on Japan’s Ikema Island, this 3,150-square-foot house, designed by 1100 Architect, offers a meditative retreat with views over the East China Sea.
The main concrete volume – which contains the living spaces –was raised on a faceted base, minimizing alterations to the natural landscape and opening the entire house up to views of the sea.A path leads from the house and down the cliff, providing access to the beach.
As Ikemais subject to occasional typhoons and storms, the house is made with reinforced, cast-in-place concrete. Impact-resistant floor-to-ceiling windows lighten the overall appearance of the structure and provide views of the East China Sea. During typhoon season, sliding aluminum shutters can be used to cover and protect the windows. When the shutters are not in use, they stack neatly into a hidden pine box.
The structure is divided into two levels. On the ground level, a 680-square-foot concrete base provides the client’s entry, a carport, and mechanical spaces. On the upper level, the2,470-square-foot rectangular concrete volume arrays two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining area, a living room, and two tatami rooms. The centrallylocated tatami rooms contain the butsudan (family shrine) and tokonoma (art alcove). Both the butsudan and the tokonoma are considered essential living spaces, so they occupy prominent locations adjacent to the main entry.
The house features two entrances: a private entrance in the carport, and a public entrance facing the street. The private entrance leads to the butsudan and tokonoma, which are ceremonially used to greet guests. The public entrance opens into the dining area and living room, which are suited to larger and more informal social gatherings. Together, the circulation core, butsudan, and tokonoma separate these more public areas from the private bedrooms to the east.
Throughout the home, wood is juxtaposed with exposed concrete. A dropped ceiling made of Japanese cypress wood softens the kitchen and dining spaces, and doubles as housing for mechanical and electrical components. Japanese cypress paneling, tatami mats, and shoji screens add warmth to these spaces, creating a blend of contemporary and traditional Japanese elements that results in a simple, modern, and intricatelydetailed home.
Material Used:
1. Lixil Building Technologies – Glazing – Impact-Resistant Glazing
2. Virtu – Wood Flooring – Riftsawn White Oak
3. Toto - Bathroom Fittings - TLC31BF Sink Faucet
4. Toto - Bathroom Fixtures - MR710 Sink
5. Lixil Inax - Bathtubb - ZB-1520HPL/BWI
6. Hitachi - Cooktop - H300t
7. Takara Standard - Dishwasher - TKW-600-SV
