ryuichi ashizawa architect & associates has created a residence for a family of four, located within the awaji island, in hyogo, japan. the clients requested ‘a house that grows along with the family‘, prompting the architects to re-think the concept of the ideal living space.

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site view

all images by kaori ichikawa

 

 

to make use of the site to its maximum extent, ryuichi ashizawa architect & associates  planned the house and its landscape at the same time. exploring a more primitive approach based on family gathering, the architects’ design resulted in a spiral, continuous plan that is in contact with the exterior at all sides, with rooms such as storage and bedroom on its fringes. 

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house backyard

 

 

at the core of the house is a space, called ‘niha’, with a diameter of about 2.4m and a height of 7.5m. during the day, sunlight seeps through the skylight on top of the niha, while at night darkness sets, as there are no lights installed. when opened, the skylight also functions as a tunnel to which the wind ascends from the ground. as it is unassigned to a pre-defined function, the center of the house is used for miscellaneous activities, be it meditation or gathering with friends. niha’s unconventional form is a nod to awaji island’s local timber-constructed houses, clad in earth.

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night view of house exterior

 

 

 

to support the roof, timber beams follow the spiral and ‘radiate’ from the central space, exposed in the interior. every part of the timber construction was hand-carved by carpenters. the interior wall was finished with awaji island’s earth on top of interwoven lattice of bamboo collected around the site. the outer wall was scraped with a finishing of soil and mortar, while the floor was finished with tataki technique, allowing the interior to store heat and control humidity.

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during construction

 

 

the roof is planned as a spiral garden, with the ground rises towards the sky. the spiral roof offers varying sunlight exposure, height and humidity, hence able to support plants with diverse growth requirements. when it rains, the roof garden is soaked while rainwater flows towards the pond. in the summer, incoming wind will be cooled by the pond before it enters the house. by introducing natural phenomena as inseparable parts of the house, the family will be one with nature, living in a house where the earth and trees grow.

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entrance to the bedroom

 

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corridor

 

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living and dining room adjacent to the central space

 

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passive room

 

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latitudinous room

 

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skylight above the central space

 

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floor plans

 

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sectional prespective

 

 

 

project info:

 

name: spiral garden
designer: RAA | ryuichi ashizawa architect & associates
location: awaji city, hyogo, japan

 

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom