Contemporary Japanese architecture: uniting tradition and craftsmanship

Arquitectura-contemporánea-Yoshihiro-door

From the hand of architect Kouichi Kimura, born in Kusatsu, a city in the very heart of Japan, we can find a fabulous example of contemporary architecture, located in Shiga prefecture in the Kinki region of Honshu island.

The building in question closely follows the philosophy of his architecture studio, which aims to blend the minimalism of today with Japan’s thousand-year-old traditions and craftsmanship. The result is a masterful and authentic exercise in contemporary architecture that uniquely and remarkably lies outside the conventional.

Arquitectura-contemporánea-Yoshihiro-Asada-cube Arquitectura-contemporánea-Yoshihiro-

Although Kouichi Kimura uses today’s modern materials to design his dwellings, he employs traditional shapes in harmony with light and shadow to cast a series of geometric volumes that bring the project a touch of drama and theatrics.

The family home we present today is based on two basic premises that the owners wished the architect would express: location and privacy, the defining traits found in the design of this marvelous structure.

Arquitectura-contemporánea-Yoshihiro-Asada-sofa Arquitectura-contemporánea-Yoshihiro-Asada-salón Arquitectura-contemporánea-Yoshihiro-Asada-Japan

The U-shaped house is designed around a courtyard that functions as a point of connection between all the spaces radiating off it. The client’s desire for privacy is resolved with the facades that block off the neighboring houses, but face the fields of crops that extend into the distance.

Arquitectura-contemporánea-Yoshihiro-Asada-fisherman Arquitectura-contemporánea-Yoshihiro-Asada-courtyard Arquitectura-contemporánea-Yoshihiro-Asada-courtyard-childrenArquitectura-contemporánea-Yoshihiro-Asada-exterior

This minimalist and sober contemporary architecture has no enclosures or doors to divide its rooms, thus creating a continuous flow that is at once streamlined and harmonious.

The furniture forms part of the house’s architectural design, meaning the volumetric shapes can be seen as a single piece. It is nearly void of any interior design, with just a few well-chosen accent pieces that become works of art themselves.

Arquitectura-contemporánea-Yoshihiro-Asada-man Arquitectura-contemporánea-Yoshihiro-Asada Arquitectura-contemporánea-Yoshihiro-kid

The entrance to the house is framed by low walls on either sides, in clear reference to the ceremonial nature of the traditional Japanese arch, known as Torii, usually found at the threshold of Shinto sanctuaries.

Once inside, we discover the areas forming part of a single open space in the central gravel courtyard: a small Zen garden, and in the background, the fields melting away into the horizon.

This is because this contemporary Japanese architectural dwelling gazes upon the landscape that frames the inimitable beauty of the natural world outside.

Arquitectura-contemporánea-Yoshihiro-Asada-night

Architecture studio: Form Kouichi Kimura Architects

Photography: Yoshihiro Asada.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *