Our client’s family have owned this land and Kura (a traditional treasure-house and symbol of wealth) for generations and cultivated the extraordinary Japanese garden. A large, ancient bonsai-shaped pine tree is at the heart of the garden and feels like the spiritual guardian for the family. Capturing this ethereal atmosphere was Ryoko’s focus for the design – so the client and his family could enjoy the views of the garden, mountains and breathe in the spiritual calming atmosphere from both interior and exterior.

The client owns an international shipping business that has been in his family for generations. His family of six wanted a house that blends contemporary architecture and modern living arrangements with traditional Japanese culture and crafts. A large contemporary, double height, living, kitchen and dining area with a disappearing wall of glazed doors opens out to the garden and Kura. This flexible space was essential to be able to accommodate the large family’s needs and busy lifestyle and, when the glazed doors are open, to bring the garden into the house and connect with the distant mountain range. Using the same flooring throughout the interior creates a seamless flow of space without boundaries. The family crest is used as a motif for more full-height sliding panels that can separate the kitchen and dining areas from the main living space.

Connected to this double-height space, yet also acting as a counterbalance, they wanted a small traditional Japanese tatami room to embrace their ancient tea ceremony culture with clients and friends. This tatami room has sliding washi paper panels, which can be fully opened and hidden within the walls, adding additional space to the open-plan living area, or can be completely enclosed and private. The panels are hand painted with a design that reflects the ocean, waves, water and wind – symbolic of the client’s shipping business. A galleried area on the first floor overlooks the main double-height living space and this is used as an area for playing music – both recorded and with instruments. Family members enjoy performing in this space whilst the others are a downstairs audience.

The couple are both keen triathletes so needed a ‘pain cave’ - a gym and storage for their equipment – which is on the ground floor along with a large garage.

The more private areas are located on the first floor and include five bedrooms (the master has an ensuite wc), a huge walk-in closet for all the family members (negating the need for a lot of storage in each of the bedrooms), and a very large family bathroom. An outdoor terrace with views out to the garden leads from the galleried area.

One very important element of the brief was for the client to have a ‘man-cave’ where he can entertain friends and business clients away from the family areas of the house. On the first floor, it is reached by a private staircase directly from the entrance and is a large L-shaped space enjoying the full height of the sloping ceiling.

Set in a residential area, the house needed to respond to its neighbours in terms of height, so it is two stories with a raked roofline. The architecture displays the core concept of contemporary western design meeting traditional Japanese craftsmanship. The ground floor is constructed in reinforced concrete to conform to Japan’s strict building and earthquake regulations, and to demonstrate the contemporary architectural concept. The first floor is a timber structure that symbolises traditional Japanese building methods and craftsmanship. Made of locally sourced cedar and locally manufactured cross laminated timber panels, the double height space reaches to the vault where all the timber is exposed. The exterior walls are clad in panels made of reconstituted garbage.

The interior is planned so that the large, dramatic living space and tatami room embrace the garden and mountain views, and the more functional areas face the road on the north and west sides. The man-cave feels separate from the family home and is accessed by its own staircase.