I'm home (NEWS / ENGLISH)

It is necessary to install small down lights in the ceiling to maintain a certain level of illumination, but lighting a space from different heights and angles with the usage of floor and table lamps adds to spatial effects. By planning lighting to initially include freestanding lights like the table and floor lamps, it is possible to minimize installed lights and effectively use the designed lamps. For example, in a dining room, the table is usually lit from the ceiling, but it is also important to think about lighting in a way to make it easy for people to see each other across the table. It is important to imagine the scene as well as consider the natural light and layout plan. Traditionally, architects planned lighting, but planning lighting with a lighting designer is a good way to do it. A lighting planner creates the concept that meets the client’s image, then plans the basic design, executes it, supervises the plan, and adjusts the light angles and dimness at the site before the handover. It is ideal to have the architect, interior designer and the lighting designer discuss the design and lighting effects together. The design fee and contract are different per designer depending on the work time and space, but the average fee is about 1 to 2 percent of the whole construction cost.

In September 2009, the EU enacted a policy to stop manufacturing non-energy efficient filament lamps. In Japan, the ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry also announced plans to stop the sale and production of non-energy efficient filament lamps by 2012. The move to stop manufacturing the filament lamps is currently in progress. Now that energy efficient LED is in full use by households, the lighting industry is experiencing a rapid transition in how lighting is used on a daily basis. Taking advantage of its smallness in 2011’s Salone, foreign brands such as Moooi, Catellani & Smith presented highly designed LEDs. They even announced the new possibility of wirelessly controlling the lights. Even though the performance of LED’s are getting better (like with the development of warm yellow lights), there are still issues; understanding the difference between fluorescent and filament lamps will lead to the correct, smart usage of LED. LED’s color of light differs depending on the brand, launch period or even per item, even if the color temperature is the same. Phillips of Holland developed a LED lamp that lights evenly, where lights from several elements are mixed in the module and are lighted through the cover kneaded with a yellow fluorescent substance. Panasonic developed a “one core type” LED lamp that uses only the strong light element to prevent multiple shadows from several elements. Also, the number of houses that use dimmer controls are increasing, but there are types of LED that don’t dim. Even the dimming light bulbs flicker when the lights are dimmed below a certain level. Many brands are developing dimmer controls that prevent flickering.

Imaeda residence situated in Nagakute, Aichi was designed to create a town within the house. In the center of the 2-story wooden house is a hall that has a void running east to west. The living room, dining room, kitchen and study face each other across the hall. On the 2nd floor, a hallway runs above the hall connecting the study and the bedroom and one can enjoy the feeling of walking in an alley of a town. What is interesting is that it is possible to feel the presence of the family all around the house, because one’s line of sight crosses over through the void. In the study situated on the south side of the 2nd floor, dark wood is used for the wall and the ceiling effectively creating a scene of a hut in the house. And on that wall facing the void, small openings are created randomly, adding rhythm to the space.
An exterior full of character was created by having openings so one can enjoy the natural light, wind and view hidden from the surrounding houses. In the house, the shadows change shape as the day goes by, adding to one’s enjoyment. The center of the house hall with the wooden stove is like the yard of the house, where family and guests naturally gather. The lighted courtyard in the hall acts as a chimney.

Higashi Hiroshima, HIROSHIMA, is a town where traditional red brick houses and rice fields create its distinct scenery. The Sakamoto residence is a house for a family with 3 children, and is situated in a residential area with great scenery, where Sakura trees grow on the front street and rice fields stretch out along the back. Makoto Tanijiri, the architect, planned to incorporate this scenery when designing the house. He planned a house where the slope from the low rice fields continues into the house. The scattered rooms are covered with one big rectangular box and sloped doma (earth floor) was created in between the rooms. The doma has a ceiling, but it feels like the outdoors because the floor is covered with sand. The doma is the passage that connects the rooms. The living room, where the family gathers, is placed on the north side so the view of the sakura and rice fields can be enjoyed, and is positioned at a higher floor level than the doma. By opening the glass sliding doors on 3 sides of the living room, and sitting on its floor looking outside it feels like relaxing on an engawa (Japanese traditional veranda). On the other hand, the southern kitchen is positioned at a lower floor level than the earth floor. This difference in the floor level creates unique sceneries. By painting the walls with grey EP paint and creating the walls of doma with structural plywood, it softly differentiates the spaces. The one and only house was created on this land.

The ceramic artist Kenji Gomi, who has an atelier in Tajimi city in Gifu, created an object series [saidoki] that placed second in the 2011 NIHON TOGEI Exhibition. The beauty of saidoki is the texture and the roundness similar to naturally eroded stone or coral that gives it the impression of being alive. One of the most impressive methods of Gomi’s is his “originally created methods to match his image.” This method creates a gradation by blackening parts of a surface; the art is surrounded with chaffs in a kiln, and the gradation is created when the chaffs burn and sink, enabling the minerals to appear in a gradation. Almost all of his art was dishes until 4 years ago, when he started to feel uncomfortable in selecting the materials for dishes that seemed based on rules of balance and size. Gomi started to create objects out of his desire to explore the possibility of emulating soil’s texture. The unique forms of saidoki were created from moving the hands freely. He says, “I do not intend to express something from my art, but on the other hand, I realize the humanity and vision through the completed art.” For him, creation is both output and input. Thus, his present art becomes the drawing for his next art, and he thinks about the concept of ceramics itself through creating his objects.

The Y residence is located in the residential area of Ushiku, Ibaraki. It sits on a slope with an impressive roof that slants 8.53 degrees to the south. Indoor and outdoor parking is on the RC structured basement, and 3 zones separated by different floor levels are on the wood-structured ground floor. Centered around the living room and dining room is the Japanese room, located to the east; the kitchen is located to the west. Open work space is located 330mm above the living room, and further to the north and 805mm above is a hallway running east to west connecting private areas such as the bedroom, bathroom and children’s room. The stove situated in the center of the living room and dining room adds to the character of the room. The electronic heat storage floor heater, wall panel radiators and floor radiators were selected as the heating system. Also, to allow the air to flow throughout the house, openings were created on all 4 sides (north, south, west and east) and top light windows that open electronically were selected. Traditional doors such as a Sudare (Japanese traditional shade) and shoji were used in the living and dining room to control the temperature, natural light and breeze, which of course, varies depending on the weather and season. To use natural energy efficiently, natural materials such as OYA stone, solid ash and plaster were used to create a comfortable living space.

The house of architect Makoto Nozawa stands in a residential area full of nature in a suburb of Tokyo. Mr.Nozawa designs in broad areas, ranging from houses and commercial spaces in Japan to hotel renovations outside Japan. For a long time, he wanted his house to be a mix of vintage and mid-century modern style furniture with a Parisian and Danish flair. The house looks like a flat building but is actually a 2-story wooden structured house with a gable roof. On the ground floor, the living room, dining room and kitchen are on the west side and the den and bedroom are centered around the entrance on the east side. On the attic (which is like a second floor), there is a closet and free space. The living dining room is a bright room with the sun shining all day long through the void above. A big opening was created on the north side facing the park. The walnut flooring matches well with the Mid-century sofa and TV rack and the Parisian table, and the kilim rug and cushion are good accent pieces. On the west side, a terrace resembling a lanai from southern islands faces the lawn and gently connects the interior and exterior of the house. Also, the house is full of playful designs like its usage of old hotel doors.

The H residence stands in a quiet area of Setagaya, Tokyo. Its massive exterior gives a gentle impression because of the cream-colored scraped walls and the horizontal eaves. The architect Yousuke Inoue divided the building into several volumes and positioned them unevenly to try and create variety in the space. Utilizing the spacious land of 366m2, he presented a 2-story concrete building on the south side and a 1-story living room building on the north side. On the ground floor, the approach and garage are positioned toward the front-road side, the kitchen and dining room in the center, and the living room on the north side. Private rooms and bathrooms are located on the 2nd floor. he high-ceiling living room is very spacious, and connected with the garden by giant glass openings on both the east and west sides, which each face the gardens. The living room, the Japanese room and the dining room are laid out in a L-shape surrounding the garden, with the Japanese room in between the living and dining rooms. The garden, covered with wooden flooring, is like a second living room and has great ambiance created by the deciduous trees. The materials used in the interior are mainly natural materials like wood, stone and sand plaster which makes the interior very warm, with a sophisticated feel. Creating several gardens in addition to the main garden, (like the Japanese garden on the west side, the front yard and the approach garden), connect the interior with the exterior, and allows one to coexist with nature.

The mixed interior of different countries and periods has become popular recently. Mixed styles place emphasis on the resident’s comfort and personality rather than the style of the furniture itself. It is a house that is not only modern but has the ease of timeless comfort. The ease creates uniqueness and leads to a comfortable and relaxing house. Japanese modern architecture is simple and minimal, created with walls that lack texture and level differences. As a result, houses tend to be beautiful, like a simple box, but lack warmth and personal uniqueness. Fundamentally, a house should be a place to relax and a place for families and friends to gather. Thus, it is necessary to gain back a level of comfort by adding more expressiveness to overly modern architecture. In this issue, we focus on molding as an item to balance the architecture and interior. The history of molding is described starting from its usage in ancient Greek architecture to its use as a modern decoration. Moreover, from a practical perspective, we describe how to select and install molding that suit Japanese architecture. Also, usage of molding in foreign countries and variations of molding are picked up to encourage interest in interior decoration that adds expression to the current modernity seen in homes today.

The T residence is a white house with a tall gable roof that stands on a small 38m2 area of land. The architects Maki Takahashi and Daisuke Shiokami presented a 3-story wood-structured house that resembles a large tree growing straight. To maximize the space, the two designed a 3-story 3.9mX5.3m rectangle building. By using Sky Factor regulation, a 9 meter-high proportional building was created. In the house, structural 3-story high walls stand on both the north and the south wall. The living room and dining kitchen are located on the second floor, the bedroom on the first floor and the bathroom on the third floor. Narrow voids from the 1st to the 3rd floor are created on both the east and west sides which unite the space and ease the feeling of narrowness of the space. Also, the space is utilized well by positioning the kitchen and washbasin facing the void. What is most impressive is the open penthouse bathroom with the exposed truss roof beams. From the bathtub in the center of the space, a view of the sky can be enjoyed through the high side windows. This house is a good example of how a luxurious space can be created with having good ideas, despite the small size of the land.

Benoîr Astier de Villatte and Ivan Pericoli, the owner and main designer of a French interior shop ASTIER de VILLATTE visited Japan and presented their new collection at their familiar interior shop H.P. DECO in Omotesando. The two always designed naturally and designed what they themselves wanted from the establishment of ASTIER de VILLATTE in 1996. The boutique at 173 Santenore, PARIS, which opened in year 2000, helped make the brand into one of the leading interior brands in France, and still attracts focus from around the world. The two, who often collaborate with various artists, collaborated with their friend artist John Derian, who decoupages old illustrations on glass and presented a new ceramic collection. The two wanted and tried to create art with color, but were not able to create what they wanted. With their collaboration with John Derian, however, they were able to create a marble motif series along with the birds and insect motif series. Both added colorful variations to the white world of ASTIER de VILLATTE and hinted at other possibilities for the future. Astier de Villatte and Pericoli were always pleasant during the interview. The products hand-made in the PARIS atelier was done without compromise, and creates a strong presence like an object, yet gives a warm and rustic feel. It is as if their pleasant character can be felt from their products.

Charlotte Perriand joined the Le Corbusier atelier at the age of 24 and worked on interior and space design. Charlotte Perriand added warmth to the functional architecture Le Corbusier created. Her masterpiece Grand Confort (LC) represents her attitude toward creation. Her daughter Pernette Perriand says “My mother loved LC7 that had the green frame to the natural leather. And the Grand Comfort (LC) series was initially made with only natural or colored leather, and had no black design”. It is surprising to know that originally, the chrome frame with black leather combination did not exist, because is the most common combination now. Charlotte’s pursuit of material and color gave Le Corbusier tremendous inspiration. Charlotte visited Japan in 1940, as the director of exporting art crafts. She was very shocked by Japanese architecture and the fact that sizes of Tatami and Japanese-style doors were fixed. In her notes when she visited Japan, she states “ there are all the origins of modernism in Japan”. In the fall of 2011, the furniture Charlotte designed was reproduced from Cassina ixc. The organic and innovative furniture still merges with 21st century houses.

Prestigious façades and interiors designed with attention to detail – The houses that the Yokobori Architect & Associates creates are elegant and luxurious, and the interior and exterior are beautifully integrated. The designers are architect Kenichi Yokobori and interior designer Tomoko Komata. From their initial presentation, furniture is laid out in the plan and material boards with floor & wall material, along with furniture and curtain samples are presented. This helps to broaden the client’s perspective and helps the designers exchange ideas with their clients from the start. After studying at University of Miami, Mr.Yokobori worked in Ardo Rossi‘s Japan office. Ms.Komata worked for Shigeru Uchida, who was art director of architecture at Ardo Rossi. Their design style comes from their similar work background, where they learned about both architecture and interior in addition to Western and Japanese styles. Their design office was established in 1995, and now their design capabilities have expanded past just designing houses to other projects like deirecting apartment’s design. Mr.Yokobori plans the basic design and Ms.Komata designs the interior. The houses they design are cohesive, because the two continuously discuss throughout the design stages. The space is basically symmetrical (European style), with the horizontal grid of the modern Japanese style added in. Also, with the idea to segment the architecture, the rooms are laid out slightly unevenly creating continuity in the space. The use of various sophisticated materials and originally-designed shelves create a distinct interior. To live beautifully without stress, they try to distinguish the areas that are meant to be seen from the areas meant to be hidden, like creating a large storage space behind the open kitchen. “ We want to find out what good quality is and create a luxurious life even at low cost”. They do not forget to create relaxing corners, such as a fireplace or water garden. They truly are praised as designers who create a quality space with the ambiance of an escape from everyday life.

Naoto Tamaki is an architect based in Gifu who works mainly on projects within the Tokai area. His design office, GA architect office, started in 1999 and 70 percent of its projects are housing design. The number of houses he has designed are more than 200. The houses he designs are simple and functional based on the client’s lifestyle and give the impression of ease and gentleness because of the materials he carefully choses from many areas. He carefully considers the client’s lifestyle and needs and does not force his plan into being a certain shape and keeps it from becoming too decorative. His designs flow naturally. In all his designs, the common theme is to incorporate nature. One approach is creating an earth floor or courtyard. He especially likes to create a courtyard surrounded by walls, which makes the house spacious without compromising on outdoor space. An earth floor created between the courtyard and living room is considered an intermediate space which gently connects the interior and exterior and has multiple functions. He tries to make earth floors not only as a functional or design oriented space but also a space that enriches everyday life, like having a wooden stove to enjoy a fire. The material he always uses is tile, and he especially likes natural and soft touch tiles from tile brand BASE from Nagoya, which creates original tiles. The handmade tiles add texture to the walls and becomes the focal point. Recently, he is challenging himself by using other materials like natural stones, thereby further raising the quality of his interior designs.