This is a house for a couple in their old age, which attempts to translate the comfort of "shade" as a natural environment into a living environment. The building is composed of ten differently shaped tree-like structural units, arranged as if extending a garden tree, which are connected to each other while shifting, creating a variety of spaces with different kinds of "shade" inside and outside. This configuration allows the couple to enjoy their individual activities on the first floor while maintaining a good distance between them. In contrast, on the second floor, each private room is placed in the form of a penthouse. These units, which soak up groundwater like trees and circulate it within the structure, also function as a radiant cooling system, adding to the coolness of the space when one enters the shade of the trees.

Japan | Chiba

Jutakutokushu September 2009 issue 48P