Daigo Ishii + Future-scape Architects

61 sq.m.
657 sq.ft.

A house which site is facing to the row of cherry trees.

Ths house is designed with consideration to the relation between the family and the cherry trees. Designing is creating various scenes in that the family life overlaps with cherry trees in all spaces.

Scene-1 Entrance : They can see cherry trees through big window with 3.1m height. They feel the cherry trees closed as if they walk a path under the trees with usual view point height.

Scene-2 Basement floor : It is half-storey lower than the entrance. They can look up cherry trees through the above-stated window. Here, the green of trees hangs over and approach them higher and heavier.

Scene-3 Private rooms at the first floor : Those are half-storey upper than the entrance. The upper part than the height of 1.8m is a opening with 7.3m length that is opened and shut by the folding doors. The tight green belt appears and they become sensitive for the part of trees as the appearance of swaying leaf and slight light and shade of trees.

Scene-4 Second floor : The living room has teracces on south and north side. Through the long teracce window, they can see the trees of the branch's height. By both side windows, the wind passes. The finish of the terrace is same as the interior in order to make continuous the interior and exterior. Since the ceiling has gloss, the sight of trees is reflected. By those effect, they can has a experience as if they are in the branch, and, In the spring, as if floating in the cherry blossoms.

Each floor is finished by different materials. Basement floor by exposed concrete, the first floor by wood, and the second floor by white material. The difference of the finish makes clear the difference of the storey. It visualizes the overlay of the vertical direciton. It is a device of that they recognize the extent of the vertical direciton and the difference of the height for appreciating the cherry trees.

Location : Koganei, Tokyo

Produce : Takao Yamamoto + Human Creation

Architect : Daigo Ishii + Future-scape Architects

Structure Engineer : Oga Structure Design Office

Mechanical Engineer: Akeno Mechanical laboratory

Cooperation : Hiroyuki Kato, Motoyuki Negishi

Construction : Homma Construction Company

The state of the living room on the second floor. It is finished in white to reflect the scenery and light, green is reflected on the glossy ceiling, strengthening the impression of floating in the treetops. The temperature of the row of cherry trees with leaves on the north side is lower than that of the surrounding area, so even when it doesn't wind in the summer, the temperature difference between the trees and the surroundings creates a breeze in the libing room.

The evening view of the exterior appearance. Two stories built with the steel structure is put on the semi-basement built with the reinforced concrete structure.

The view of the exterior appearance in the daytime. There is a row of cherry blossom trees on the north side, and the matte black walls syncronizes to the colors of the trees during the dark green season.

Openings for ventilation are installed under the windows on the first floor, and a small eaves on which blinds can be hung are attached to the top of the windows, to take into consideration the summer sunshine. There is also a stake on the ceiling of the balcony on the second floor to hang blinds.

On the north side, there is a row of cherry blossom trees across the waterway. The terrace on the second floor will be a place for cherry blossom viewing. The opening on the balcony ceiling is for roof inspection.

There are four scenes in this house to see the cherry trees.

See the living room on the second floor. On the north side, the treetops of cherry trees are approaching, and in the spring, the room becomes the atmosphere surrounded by flowers. The scenery of the cherry blossoms seen from here is Scene-4. Photo: Tomoyasu Yamashita.

See the living room on the second floor. It has terraces on both sides of the south and north, and it feels spacious because the line of sight goes through.

See the south side of the living room on the second floor. The large windows on the north and south sides are paired glass, which suppresses heat loss in the winter. It's bright all day long, and in the summer it's a nice place with a nice breeze.

See the cherry blossoms at the beginning of spring in Scene-4 seen from the living room on the second floor. The pale pink color of the cherry blossoms is reflected on the ceiling, which is finished with grossy paint.

See the cherry blossoms in the evening of Spring seen from the living room on the second floor. Photo: Tomoyas Yamashita.

See the private room on the first floor. The upper part of the clothes chest on the left is the long opening of Scene-3 with a folding door, and they can feel the sign of cherry blossoms on the north side.

See the row of cherry blossom trees cut out like a picture scroll through the opening of the private room on the first floor. The second floor is finished with plywood and pine.

See the stairs and corridors and the difference in finish depending on the floor. The basement is finished with concrete, the first floor is wood, and the second floor is white.

(Left) Look up at the cherry trees from the basement through the large window on the first floor. it is Scene-2. The cherry blossoms from the top of the stairs become Scene-1. Photo: Tomoyas Yamashita.

See the multipurpose space on the basement, finished with exposed concrete with external insulation. Heating is a radiant heater, which uses concrete as a heat storage body.

See the multipurpose space on the basement and the green shadow of the cherry blossoms from the window. The scenery of cherry blossoms seen from the basement is Scene-2.

See the multipurpose space on the basement. The semi-transparent folding door of twin polycarbonate plate can be opened and closed, according to the seasonal climate.