I'm home (NEWS / ENGLISH)

Architect Nobuyasu Hattori's main job is designing the houses in the Nishi-Kasugai county of the Aichi prefecture, Gifu prefecture and Mie prefecture, all situated in the Tokai area. He had the experience of designing commercial facilities and being a site observer in the past, and then got involved in designing houses. In 1995, he established the Nobuyasu Hattori Architectural Design Office. The residences that Hattori creates have a mellow atmosphere giving the impression of Japanese "wa" demonstrated by the selected openings creating shaded space, and dynamic spaces without any partitions. These are the unique characteristics of his designs.
Hattori, who creates these unique residences, completed his own home in 2008 as an experimental trial. It's a one-story house of 5.5m x 13.2m for his four family members and the floor area is only 67m2. There are hardly any openings on the exterior walls and the main opening is only the skylight located on the upper part of the dining room. This is unthinkable in a regular residence design. However, the skylight located 3.3m high brings in enough sunlight and to make the indoors adequately bright.
The bathroom and the toilet are situated on both sides of the entrance hallway. Beyond this is a combined living/dining room, a kitchen behind the partition, two children's rooms of 4.9m2 on the east side and the 2.2 tatami room, which is used as the couple's master bedroom. Hattori clearly differentiated the necessary and the unnecessary and the home was planned out according to priorities. Moreover, the building is built low; it's 4.2m high minimizing the oppressive feeling. No walls were built, and flowers and trees that change color throughout the four seasons were planted instead of the walls. The calm space that Hattori creates makes us rethink what kind of residence is appropriate for families.

A small town called Tielrode is situated between Antwerp and Ghent in the northern part of Belgium. One Bed and Breakfast (B&B) along with a gallery and an atelier were introduced here in 2008 this area became a topic of conversation. The owner, Sofie Lachaert is active as an artist, and together with her husband, Luc D'Hanis, they began offering their designs to droog Design.
They purchased a small shipbuilding factory in 2000 and renovated some empty rooms, then opened B&B in 2008. Exhibitions are held periodically in the gallery on the 1st floor and Sofie invites many art lovers and architects each time, contributing her resources to the community of artists. Besides, their atelier is located here as well. Rooms for lodging were planned on the 2nd floor. Works of young artists from the same district are placed everywhere in the home as decoration, making the space, filled with art pieces, very interesting. Sofie prepares breakfast with cooking ingredients acquired in the neighborhood, and guests can fully enjoy their breakfasts at the table lined with Piet Stockmans' cutlery and Sofie's originally designed sugar pots.
"A lot of art has contradicting factors like 'serious' and 'joking' and is full of fantasy and a playful spirit. And sometimes, art is very practical. I hope that people will enjoy having art in their daily life without trying to understand those elements," says Sofie. Her look was strong and her attitude showcased her philosophy of trying to see new value in the world as an artist.

Milan, Italy, is crowded because of the Milano Salone 2009 May. The showroom of "PROMEMORIA" quietly stands on Bagutta Street.
Romeo Sozzi launched "PROMEMORIA" in 1988. The company's roots go back about a century. The studio workshops have been passed on for generations from his great-grandfather who manufactured carriages, so Sozzi combined the mastership of craftsmen with his own design, and started his own business. The studio exists in a small town near Lake Como called Recco which happens to be his hometown and is surrounded by mountains. This environment, full of rich natural colors and shapes created by the four seasons, is the source of his imaginations.
Luxurious materials such as ebony, velvet and bronze are used for Sozzi's products and finished with the mastership of craftsmen. The designer and craftsmen collaborate together closely to produce high-quality products with individuality.
The theme for 2009 is "user-friendly furniture." The chair, "quentin," has bronze arms that show its exquisite line, and uses a fabric which can be used outdoors while still having the benefit of functioning like a folding chair. Sozzi also introduced the bed, "penelope," upholstered with velvet and soft leather and another bed called "shone" with a beautifully lined headboard. The height is mildly set compared to the conventional ones and an "easy-to-use" function is pursued. The kitchen, "angelina," has a unique design where an island and a dining counter are put into one. This design was inspired by Romeo's childhood experience in which his mother let many children sit in the kitchen while she worked. The drawers are the color of a lime tree and show various colors where the large capacity wine cellar is located. User-friendliness is carried out thoroughly.

The C residence stands in a quiet residential area of Meguro-ku, Tokyo. The husband loves cars and owns 4 cars, including a Porsche, a Lamborghini, and an Aston Martin. Besides those cars he has two other cars for daily use in addition to a large-sized motor bike. The 1st condition the husband requested for his new residence was a layout where he can overlook his favorite cars in the garage all day.
Architect Satoshi Okada thoroughly considered how to plan the plot of 520m2 land for the parking space and the residential space. Then, he proposed to place a parking area on the east side for the 4 cars and another parking place on the west side for the 2 daily-use cars, having the south-side driveway facing the street as the center. Moreover, having an entrance hallway as an axis, two gardens with different styles are established on the east and the west sides. The living room and the dining kitchen are placed on the upper floor on the north side and the master bedroom and the bathroom are situated in the basement. The south side of the garage is glassed-in so you can feel the presence of the precious cars from different levels in the home, like the living room and the master bedroom in the basement.
Regarding the high-quality limestone floors and as-cast concrete wall interior, glass-made and leather furniture with a sharp impression have been coordinated. The big glassed-in opening with the ceiling height of 3.8m allows bright sunlight to enter the space. The big staircase in the courtyard full of greens is like a square, and the water basin resembles a waterfall leading to the downstairs. The husband's favorite cars are in the back, and can be seen from the living room. The dining room connected to the living room is leveled up by 650mm so meals can be eaten in peace. The kitchen in the back can overlook the living room from the high position and at the same time, the courtyard on the west side can be seen via the vaulted ceiling. The bathroom below the kitchen is established facing this courtyard. Stewartia monadelpha is planted in the courtyard and connected flat with the bathroom so when the window is opened, you can enjoy it like the outdoor bath.

Architect : Satoshi Okada architects　

There are various kinds of leather, such as cow, pig, and horse, and all are processed maximizing their texture and characteristics. Japan produces mostly cowhide, and for interior items that require a lot of space, cowhide is used. To prevent the decay of leather and in order for it to be used as a material, a tanning procedure is done first. This is the process of converting the living animals' "skin" into fiber and turning it into "leather." The strength of the leather varies depending on the tanning method. After this stage, it goes through a process of dyeing, coating and embossing. There are not many examples in Japan that employ leather as interior items, but leather gives the texture softness while providing durability, so using it extensively is recommended.
In Japan, European leather from Italy, France, and Spain is imported as high-end goods but recently, cheap leather from China and other Asian countries are also being imported. As a result, the domestic production is decreasing every year although Japanese leather is known for being of a high quality. The latest fall-winter collection 2009-2010 introduced the authentic charm of leather like nubuk and suede, starting with a simple item which went through a week of the tanning process and drying in the sun. For a long time, Europeans have had leather by their side and used leather as interior items where they can enjoy its authentic texture, but in Japan, a significant concern was put on easy maintenance. As such, the need for coated leather has been high. However, recently the need for "very leather-like material" became high and more people are enjoying the texture that changes over the years.
Leather's charm is that it changes texture and warmness over the years. Leather can be used not only for furniture, but also for floors and walls to create an expressive residence.

The grid area full of green spreads across the west side of Ikegami Honmonji. It's been flourished as a cathedral town from long ago and the F residence stands in the corner of this traditional town full of local colors. It is a two household home and the owner requested an open, community-like space in the driveway. Architect Yuki Horiuchi proposed a plan consisting of two buildings where one is 3-layered and the other one is 2-layered and they are connected on the 2nd floor while still respecting each other's privacy. A spacious courtyard between the two buildings and two separate entrance doors maintain a good distance between the households and created an open driveway. The left side of the driveway is the parents' building with white exterior walls. As you enter the entrance, you first face the closet with sliding screens and it gives Japanese traditional atmosphere. On the contrary, the couple's building has red cedar exterior walls painted in grey. The 1st floor has a spacious, navy blue sash of 3.4m×2.7m entrance and it is a refreshing, open space with good ventilation. When you go up the stairs which gives you a feeling of floating, you'll see children's rooms and a master bedroom on the 2nd floor and is connected to the parents' living/dining room. The kitchen and the living/dining room, which would be the core of the residence, are put together in one room situated on the east side of the 3rd floor. The couple requested "a kitchen that could be used freely by visiting friends" and they themselves often work together in the kitchen. Therefore, the kitchen is installed against the wall and a big island counter of W1.6m x D1.6m x H0.86m, was designed. The opening on the west side extends fully to the ceiling and the vaulted ceiling in the center of the residence takes in a lot of sunlight. The bathroom, the terrace and the work room are situated around this vaulted ceiling. Each family member has their own space but at the same time, they can feel each other's presence. An open and warm residence was created.



Architect : STUDIO CY

Kanda clean water has been hydrating residents in the Musashino, Tokyo area from ancient times. When you cross the Kugayama bridge, near the riverhead of Inokashira pond, a nostalgic view of the town spreads before your eyes.
The owner says, "I wanted to build a neutral house which doesn't fade away after years of time". The S residence makes an impression with a contrast of white exterior walls and gray fasade. After you approach the driveway planted with maple trees, you will see the entrance courtyard. The husband, who is an industrial designer, came to know an architect Akira Hikone through media connections, and asked Hikone to design his house because Hikone's attitude towards his clients and his long-lived love for things resonated with the husband.
The theme for the S residence is the open space where you feel the "wind, light and the nature." To materialize this theme, he planned all the rooms to face the courtyard. The white walls inside the house reflect natural light, and make the wood color and texture look beautiful. The workspace for the wife who is a bag designer is established on the 1st floor where the couple's bedroom and the garage are also located. On the 2nd floor, a 26m2 big living and dining room is situated along with the bathroom. The interior is colored with various small items and furniture which reflect the couple's identity as designers.
The owner talks, "The items which we have been collecting can be laid out freely by building a house." The residence shows the residents' values and lifestyle, and is truly authentic.



Architect : A . H . ARCHITECTS

Japanese culture is sensitive to the change of the four seasons. The key to make the room temperature comfortable in the summer /winter is the "temperature, humidity and the mild wind" of the refreshing climate of the spring/autumn. Here, we would like to explain the methods of bringing in the natural environment into residences. We will discuss the different planes of architecture and cooling/heating.
In the architectural plane, there is a method of making the exterior walls double and having the middle air space function as an insulator. This is called a "double-skin" structure. Outside the building frame insulator, another exterior wall is established to have a vent layer. Having the air go through a vent layer from the floor to the ceiling make the temperature and the humidity of the outer building circumference adjust to cool the interior. The P residence, designed by architect Tomoyuki Utsumi, employed the "cool tube" which utilizes the earth thermal. The earth thermal keeps a stable temperature of 15℃throughout a year and the tube embedded in the ground will take in the warm air in the winter and the cool air in the summer. Both occasions utilize the air flow caused by the temperature difference and it doesn't use any energy so there is no maintenance cost. Moreover, by building a house with a building frame and equipment separate from each other, the degree of freedom for one's lifestyle is heightened along with, the equipment renewal and the renovation. Amongst the building frames, the big openings are the source of losing heat and this can be resolved by having double-glazed and wooden sash windows. Having the flow of wind is important in planning the layout.
In terms of equipment, heat accumulation, which can be used when necessary, makes the indoor air flow naturally depending on the temperature difference so uncomfortable fluctuations in temperature and wind go unnoticed. There are various methods for heat accumulation such as building frames, earth medium, water, and trees. However, to implement these methods, the degree of insulation in the house has to be high. Otherwise, the effect would be weak. As for humidity control, employing materials that have the function of adjusting the humidity for the walls and the ceilings has a bit of effect.
A comfortable, temperature-controlled environment can be achieved by effectively combining each technology. Taking into consideration indoor thermal environments is a good opportunity to rethink one's lifestyle.



Architect : Claesson Koivisto Rune