Architects: EASTERN Design Office
Area: 711 m²
Year: 2009
Photographs: Koichi Torimura
City: Takarazuka
Country: Japan
The Mountains and Opening House in Takarazuka City, designed by EASTERN Design Office, redefines hillside architecture in Hyogo Prefecture. Built at an elevation of 330 meters with an 8-meter slope, it skillfully integrates living spaces with the natural landscape, emphasizing uninterrupted mountain curves. Completed in 2009, it features unique topography and offers views of the Osaka Plain. This project, captured by photographer Koichi Torimura, blends protection and openness, creating a visionary place that connects people with both nature and urban views.
This structure combines a design room for a Japanese sneaker brand with a residential house. It is situated in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture, within an upscale neighborhood offering a complete view of the Osaka Plain. Constructed on a hillside with a 330-meter elevation, the site has an 8-meter slope difference.
Utilizing the site’s natural incline, the design caters to the needs of two individuals, creating a harmonious architectural solution.
Designed for warmth, the lower level of the house remains hidden within the mountain.
With an 8-meter elevation difference, the site surpasses the height of a typical two-story building. The lower floor is embedded into the sloped terrain, making it invisible from the road above.
A bedrock layer lies 1.5 meters below the surface, proving too hard for excavation by a shovel car. The foundation is anchored to this bedrock, providing robust support.
Forming two mounds from the excavated soil and positioning the residence between them, the building is constructed on this “new topography-mountain,” maintaining a close connection to the ground and highlighting the natural slope.
Situated in an upscale residential area on a hill with impressive views, the development typically follows standardized planning, resulting in a lack of individuality, which we describe as “a loss of topography.” Our vision reimagined a mountain with its slope removed and incorporated this lost mountain into the architecture.
Architectural concepts often unfold on sloped terrains rather than flat grounds, where elevating the inclination results in the formation of dual peaks. Scattered within these peaks lies a living area, with an elevated level serving as a space for creative design endeavors.
A panoramic view from this vantage point reveals the vast Gulf of Osaka, high-rise edifices, the vibrant Kobe port, Kansai Airport, Itami Airport, and the distant silhouette of azure mountains.
Originally, the land boasted an 18-degree incline, prompting the construction of mounds to introduce undulating features to the landscape. These sculpted mounds depict a novel topography where none existed before, with the upper design space seemingly floating above these wave-like formations.
The architects have devised a structure that appears to sail over waves, evoking the image of a ship braving through high waves or perhaps a dragon. The vision for this structure feels like the start of a grand journey. It features a spacious 18-meter-long balcony from which you can view the sea and mountains situated 60 kilometers away.
The design intentionally hides other nearby houses from view when you’re on the balcony. The experience within the building is designed to create a floating sensation, similar to being on a boat deck rather than in a traditional house. This feeling is emphasized in the design room at the top of the building which resembles a ship.
The blueprint follows an L-shaped layout. The protruding edge from the slope transforms into an aperture that engulfs the external view. Running harmoniously among the winding contours of the land, straight eaves project assertively, defying the natural force of the terrain. They display varying thinness, thickness, shortness, length, and elaborately carved details.
The dwelling offers security yet provides a sense of liberation, unifying these polar opposites. This concept takes form within the structure through the corresponding designs of the upper and lower floors.
The construction conveys dual nature – it mirrors aspects of a cave as well as seafaring elements.
The structure gives the impression of soaring, yet it remains grounded. It appears to wander but exudes a comforting domestic feel. It embodies both sky and Earth, seemingly distant but offers a close intimacy.
Deep below the surface, approximately 1.5 meters down, lies sturdy bedrock. The base of the structure is supported by this robust foundation. The earth dug out for this purpose is shaped into a unique red curve. Essentially, the accumulation of dislodged soil crafts a landscape akin to rolling hills. The lower floor is nestled within this artificial hillock.
The element that surmounts these sculpted hills forms the upper deck, seamlessly melding the upper and lower levels into a singular architectural entity.
When the building is removed, what’s left is just a slope. In this project, the “house” is thought of as a “mountain”. The goal is to shape the mountain in a way that lets people feel the smooth lines that make up the mountain. The idea is to help people feel close to this wave-like mountain. Even a small change to the mountain’s lines could cause problems, affecting things like how the entrances are designed and might mean the whole building has to change. But right now, no one feels strange standing on this wavy slope.
Someone stationed upright on a hill. Another is in a crouched position on the same incline. A third taking a leap off the gradient. Occupying a spot on an incline uniquely allows one to survey the path previously traveled and anticipate the way forward. This distinct location could be perceived as a place that stirs up thoughtful reflection.
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Project Location
Address: Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
