The site is located near the Todaiji Temple in Nara. The location is on the hill with a great view. It is situated on the slopes. This is the home for couples without children.
This house is a two-story with a basement. The structure of underground is RC; the structure of the ground floor is a steel frame. The underground space is the area for the husband to enjoy his oil painting hobby. On the first floor is a bedroom and utility room for his wife. The second floor has a kitchen, dining, living room and bathroom. The view from the second floor is also great. And more, there is also a roof terrace with a view.
A white wall façade is the result of considering privacy, but we have floated a lightly roof so as to not be too closed.
We have also considered the structure so as to not impair the view. So we provided a thin pillar on the great view side and a frame to withstand earthquakes on the opposite side with a panoramic view. Dimensions of the iron pillars in the corner of the living room are just 75 by 75 millimeters.
We have also considered environment. The crushed stone under the floor of the basement warmed by the midnight power warms the building frame without using electric power during daytime. The dry area as moisture protection of underground generates the cool air in the summer. We considered sending this cold air to the second floor via a simple fan in order to mitigate the heat of the roof directly under. And we provided a rainwater pit so that it can be used in kitchen gardens.
The residents retired from work at the completion of this house. We hope that they will enjoy the rest of life in this house.