【Gemstone House】
This is a house located in a residential area where the countryside landscape still remains in Japan.

When viewing from one side of the building, a slanted pure white mass appears from the ground, which resembles a piece of white gemstone. The idea came from our first impression on meeting the pure-minded client.

For the building itself, the treatment of the façade is different. While the window facing north is tiny and closed, the windows facing south are relatively enormous, expandable and numerous.

The large roof of the building becomes a canopy to block the direct summer sunlight. Likewise, the building mass embraces and protects the family unit.

The inside of the house has been designed for two households connected as one big family, with the idea to not divide them, but to bond them spatially through the central living space.

It is a space where the views outside your window are stunning. It makes the designer delighted to think about this experience happening.

Photography by Shinpei Kato of Japan