The ‘A’ House in Kisami is a private retreat overlooking the ocean about 112 miles south of Tokyo. Located at the end of a tiny mountain road leading up a coastal hill, the site is on a steep slope with stunning views and sounds of the sea.
With most of the site sloped at 30 degrees, the project started with carving out the mountain. Placing a small volume into the resultant trapezoidal carved-out void, and a larger one on top, turns the mountain void into the center of the house: a spa zone in the mountain between the platonic volumes housing bedrooms on the lower and living areas on the upper level.
The built volumes merely frame for this essence: the exterior space that flows through the building, down the mountain and connects the 'A' House with the sea.