"In response to this context, the adopts a mushroom-like form that lightly touches the ground, reducing its footprint and harmonizing with the surrounding vegetation. The plan evolved into a hexagonal configuration, derived from close observation of nearby trees, their root systems, branch spread, and growth patterns. The geometry ensures adequate clearance from existing vegetation, allowing the structure to integrate into the forest without disturbance. To further balance the building with the surrounding trees and reduce its visual mass, the floor and roof planes are divided into three levels."
"The roof form follows the natural curvature of tree trunks and branches, and its underside features finely ribbed oak panels that enhance the spatial rhythm and light quality. From each opening, views of the moss garden and forest extend outward, merging with the soft green light reflected on the wooden surfaces. The result is an interior that conveys immersion within the surrounding landscape while maintaining the comfort of enclosure."
Kokeniwa House sits within a villa district in Karuizawa surrounded by a canopy of native broadleaf trees and a cultivated moss layer. The building adopts a mushroom-like, hexagonal form to lightly touch the ground, reducing footprint and ensuring clearance from existing vegetation. Floor and roof planes are split into three levels to lower visual mass and create subtle elevation changes that define corners within a single-room plan. A gently curved ceiling provides organic expansion and continuous spatial flow. Ribbed oak panels under the roof enhance spatial rhythm and light quality, while openings frame views of the moss garden and forest. Material choices are guided by sustainability and texture.
Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine
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