Cnest

Cnest
© Hiroshi Ueda
Cnest
© Hiroshi Ueda

Cnest 

CUBO Design Architect

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Kenji Nawa 

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
Hitoshi Saruta

AREA
147 M²

YEAR
 2013

LOCATION
Japan

CATEGORY
Houses

Text description provided by architect.

This is a plan for a site, which can be called a cliff with a maximum elevation difference of 14m and a maximum slope angle of about 70 degrees.

The biggest draw of this site is the views of the sea horizon and rich greenery.

Cnest
© Hiroshi Ueda
Cnest
© Yasuno Sakata
Cnest
© Hiroshi Ueda

The house was planned with consideration of maximizing the utilization of its appeal.

At the first visit to the site, an unplanted grove of large zelkova and maple on the site was as characteristic as the beautiful views.

A plan was sought to leave the trees and to create a scenery in which the building blends in.

Cnest
© Yasuno Sakata
Cnest
© Hiroshi Ueda
Cnest
© Yasuno Sakata

An intuitively germinated image there was of a floating birdhouse with a pointy delta-shaped roof, hanging from a big tree.

However, a method to levitate a birdhouse without ground was hard to find, and various discussions were had.

As a result, a method was selected in which a birdhouse was fixed as if hooked on a block of RC, which was embedded into the ground.

Cnest
© Yasuno Sakata
Cnest
© Hiroshi Ueda

The cantilever with a 4m x 13m flat surface, which supports the floating birdhouse, is supported by an RC slab and narrow steel-frame branches.

The way of letting natural light into the interior space allows one to feel the purity of the sunlight, as well as intensifies the beauty of the shadows, which is at the extreme opposite of the light.

Cnest
© Yasuno Sakata
Cnest
© Yasuno Sakata

Walls are arranged to dramatically invite the strong light.

A gradation of shading, which is visualized by trimming and manipulating light, causes retinal shrinkage as well as reminds us of the traditional Japanese appreciation of “shadow” parts.

Depending on the amount of light, grace and modesty are born in the space and the space becomes dignified and silky.

Cnest
© Yasuno Sakata


Cnest
Ground Floor Plan
Cnest
Ground Floor Plan