North-Garden House

Noto River runs nearby the house. At there people can enjoy watching gleam of fireflies in summer, and beautiful color leaves in autumn, besides we sometimes see deer visits to the riverside. We suggested the house where our client can enjoy the abundant gift from nature by designing an open garden nearby the riverside.
We designed stairs-shaped roof that is down to the riverside. On the roof our client can enjoy watching the fireflies, deer and color leaves. From the roof we can enjoy scenery of Mt. Wakakusa and Mt. Ikoma. So that people can watch some traditional spectacular events of the mountains such as “Daimonjiyaki” bonfire in summer and “Wakakusa-yama Yamayaki” (mountain burning) in new year’s days.
In short, the stairs-shaped roof is the best seats to enjoy both nature and events in an old capital Nara for every season.
In addition people can gather together at the roof like a riverside to spend enjoyable and relaxing time.
The stairs-shaped roof works as eaves for inside of the house. It has a lot of opening windows. Stable brightness is kept through the openings by sunshine that is reflected from the north side garden. We put earthquake-proof fabric wall with built-in gratings. The wall reflects sunshine from fanlight glass windows in south upside to the built-in gratings of ceiling. As the result the wall provide transience between light and shadow into inside the room.
The stairs-shaped roof has built-in gratings, too. We used earthquake proof fabric which blocks people’s view as minimum as possible. So that people can see verandah-like porch, northern garden, Noto River and open sky in the end. Our design gives an open atmosphere in the limited space by the open and flat structure.
Wherever people sit down (at stairs-shaped roof or inside the room), people can feel open atmosphere, so client will invite many visitors to the house.
The stair-shaped roof also contributes comfortable ventilation system with natural energy.
The stairs-roof is down for north. In summer cool and fresh breeze from surface of the river flows into the house through the opening windows at verandah like porch. In winter sunshine spreads into all over the house through the fanlight glass windows in south upside. So, our design realizes fully comfortable indoor environment by natural energy at every season.