Modern minimalist concrete house with water reflection and surrounding autumn trees.

On The Water House By Nikken Sekkei Interconnects Elevated Spaces

Modern architectural building by a lake with autumn-colored trees and a mountain in the background, showcasing contemporary design and scenic natural surroundings.

Guesthouse is promising a pleasant time by the water in the balmy summer weather.

Situated alongside a lake, this guesthouse was designed as a continuous spiral space flowing from the approach to the bedrooms. Each step taken deeper inside the building reveals a changing lakefront view. The various lakeside environments, including the sound of ripples, light reflecting from the water surface, the humidity and thermal radiation, are also carried on into the spiral, but in a non-uniform distribution due to changes in physical distance from the water surface.

Modern architectural building by a lake with autumn-colored trees and a mountain in the background, showcasing contemporary design and scenic natural surroundings.

Since the whole structure is an interconnected space with different elevations, there is no homogeneous environment—various areas present various thermal environments such as the fireplace warmth and the dryness of the air. Guests wander around in this atmosphere, discovering and enjoying spots they find comfortable. Located in a natural environment that requires a bit of heating in the building even during the summer nights, one may find joy in the warmth near the fireplace, while another may relish the area’s tranquility and cold characteristic. The building is closed during the harsh winter season to prevent any wasteful investment of energy. This is the kind of hospitality this guesthouse promises to deliver.

Modern architectural building by a lake with autumn-colored trees and a mountain in the background, showcasing contemporary design and scenic natural surroundings.
Modern architectural building by a lake with autumn-colored trees and a mountain in the background, showcasing contemporary design and scenic natural surroundings.
Modern architectural building by a lake with autumn-colored trees and a mountain in the background, showcasing contemporary design and scenic natural surroundings.

INFORMATION

Architects:

Tomohiko Yamanashi+Satoshi Onda+Hajime Aoyagi / Nikken Sekkei

Tomohiko Yamanashi, Satoshi Onda, Hajime Aoyagi, Masako Inoue / project team

Toshihiko Kohno, Kaoru Kujime, Takumi Kurokawa / structural

Katsuhiro Doikawa / electrical  Yuhei Seki / HVAC

Osamu Nagase, Marie Nakaso, Hiromi Furukawa / environment analysis

Satoshi Takeuchi, Masaki Tsukada / DDL

Lighting: Izumi Okayasu, Atsushi Sugio / Izumi Okayasu Lighting Design Office

General Contractor: Tobu Construction Co., Ltd.

Saiki Tetsuka, Masami Kawaide, Akinori Meguriya / architectural

Hirofumi Hoshino, Isao Minowada / mechanical

HITEC lnc. – Tomoo Hasuike, Yoshiyuki Suzuki / electrical

Nisshin Kogyo Co., Ltd. – Tomoaki Kikuchi / HVAC

Structural system: reinforced concrete

Major materials:

exposed concrete, glass, stainless galvanized steel plate/exterior

exposed concrete, flooring, plaster finish/interior

 

Site area:1,325.16㎡

Building area:640.50㎡

Total floor area:751.92㎡

Design:2012-14

Construction :2014-15

 

All images with courtesy of Nikken Sekkei

https://www.nikken.co.jp

CreatorNikken Sekkei
Year2020
ProjectOn The Water House
NEWSLETTER

Visual Atelier 8 Edit

Share This Story