Villa K by KIRYU ATELIER, T Architects Co. in Toyota, Japan

Project: Villa K
Architects: KIRYU ATELIER, T Architects Co.
Location: Toyota, Japan
Area: 4,682 sf
Year: 2023

Villa K by KIRYU ATELIER, T Architects Co.

This architecture, adjacent to a traditional Japanese wooden structure, blends modern concrete with nature. Challenges in construction led to incorporating river rocks into the landscape. The concrete structure, with 380mm thick walls, ensures a timeless design. The versatile building serves as a creative atelier, gallery, pool, billiards area, and garage, adapting to different functions over time. The design harmonizes organic and inorganic elements, blending with the forest and flowing water.

This Architecture is located in a place where the nature of the forest and river. It was built adjacent to the existing building, which is an old Japanese traditional wooden architectural style. We designed the Architecture to harmonize with this traditional architecture and nature. A contrast between traditional old wooden structures and modern, powerful structures made of concrete. It was designed with consideration to the landscape, keeping the height low, and along a sloping land.

The site is along a river, so when constructing the foundation, large rocks from the riverbed had to be removed using special equipment. As a result, The construction work needed to catch up to schedule. However, it was a good time for us to rethink the design. We used the large rock in landscape design, aiming for a fusion of the landscape and architecture.

We chose a concrete structure to achieve a timeless design against the natural environment. For the beauty of the space, the structural columns and beams are housed within 380mm thick concrete. One large continuous space is surrounded by 380mm thick concrete.  The heat storage effect of concrete keeps the building cool in the summer and warm in the winter without the need for air conditioning equipment.

This building includes functions such as a creative atelier and gallery for paintings and pottery, a pool, a billiards space, and a garage. At times, it can also be used as a theater room or party space.  This means the variability of space in response to changes in time.  Large rocks from the riverbed that had to be removed during construction were used in the landscape design.  Soft curved surfaces and sharp, straight lines. Organic and inorganic. Openness and closedness. Movement and stillness  Self-contradictory design is human itself,   We aimed to create an architecture that harmonizes with nature, surrounded by a dignified and quiet forest and ever-changing, intangible water.

–KIRYU ATELIER, T Architects Co.