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Artisius Co., Ltd. RON DESIGN project

Weekend House in TANOURA

Tanoura's weekend house is located on the island of Oshima, in the southwest of Japan. This island extends from Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, towards Hiroshima. I designed the weekend house overlooking the beautiful sea for a client who runs his own landscape architecture company. In modern society internet connectivity through our smartphones is an ever-present fact of life. Although very convenient, it's hard to create an environment where we are not interrupted. At the weekend house, the client could escape the hustle and bustle of his busy life, which provided much needed space and time to refresh his mind. For the ground floor reinforced concrete has been used throughout, while the first floor is mainly wooden. On the first floor, the house features a 3.2 metre protruding balcony, eaves with a depth of 1.35 metres and a gable roof. A room was set up on the ground floor to enjoy hobbies and also to be used as a playroom. Solid wood is used liberally on the first floor, which contains the open plan living area (includes the dining area and kitchen), bathroom, and the bedroom, a dynamic space with a generous gable roof. The exposed roof beams embody the masculinity of the house, rising powerfully and rhythmically. Seawards, as large an opening as possible has been made, and the magnificent sliding windows when opened slide neatly within the walls. Climbing the two steps up from the first floor living area leads to a private space encompassing the bedroom and the bathroom. From any point within this space you can see the calm sea, while at the same time feel the daily life of the idyllic island and take in the greenery of the mountain.

In the main bedroom the Kumiko art is captivating, catching your eye immediately. The LED panels are the thinnest available in the world, and the light from the LED panel lights up the Kumiko as if seen through Japanese paper. The dimmer switch on the headboard can be used to mute or brighten the art and can create a mature impression. Emitting light from its surface, this new LED technology permits the creation of a thin lighting system which can hang on the wall like traditional Kumiko art. It creates the beauty of light and shadow, and offers new possibilities for traditional Kumiko.  The magnificent sea view from the open plan living area reflects the pattern of the traditional plaster artwork on the wall alongside the staircase. You can enjoy the power of the nature from inside and outside.