Pyramid hut | IGArchitects Masato Igarashi
Okinawa / Japan / 2024
This residence was designed for a married couple. It is on a long, narrow site that slopes gently toward the back, and its three sides were surrounded by apartments and a cemetery, so the location feels like the bottom of a valley. The adjacent cemetery was like a forest, with plants crossing over into the site and blurring the boundary, making the site itself to look like part of the cemetery. Having these site features, an “Okinawa-like” building style with large openings seemed somehow inappropriate for this location. Here, we envisioned a bright, open architecture while keeping a distance from its surroundings.
We envisioned a building with dignified appearance with a bright and austere interior free from external influences. Such architecture has the power and the quality of space that architecture possesses even after its original purpose ends, and can remain there for a long time. For this project too, we wanted to build an architecture that will be loved and used over time, even after the owner or its function changes.
The gently sloped site was organized into three levels for living platform, and the stepped earth retaining walls were used as two rows of foundation lining, and a square pyramid was placed reminiscent of a portable shrine. The square pyramid lifted from the hard Ryukyu limestone layer has a powerful form that will continue to stand there as if it were perched on clogs, even if the surrounding earth were to erode. The closed pyramid is not only structurally stable, but also private and dignified. While providing functional support points in response to the site, opening the foundation and roof surface were to a limited extent, creating a peaceful space without losing the stable form.
The interior space has a simple composition. The first level of consists of a bathroom and entrance to efficiently gather plumbing, the next level where its stepped 1m down is a living/dining room and a study, and the third level at the back has a bedroom and other private spaces. The house was designed to create living space within easy reach by wooden material under a skylight inside concrete mass like a ruin.
Old tombs in Okinawa are very splendid. They are designed to withstand Okinawa’s harsh climate, endure for generations. They provide a function as places of gathering, celebration, and reverence and a “home” for the ancestors, with the ancient wisdom, will and culture to be able to use them for a long time. The building that we designed and completed came out looking somewhat like a pyramid or a tomb. The shape of the building was derived from considerations of Okinawa's climate, wind and rain, the surrounding environment, and the budget. However, when I saw the completed structure, it felt as though it was imbued with the sense of permanence and festivity that Okinawa’s ancestors instilled in their tombs. Although the form may seem bizarre, this concrete house resulted with graceful Okinawan character.
[JP]
これは夫婦二人の住宅だ。敷地は、細長く奥に向かって傾斜していて、三方をマンションや墓地に囲まれていたので、まるで谷底のような場所だった。隣接した墓地は森のようで、植物が敷地に越境していて、どこまでが敷地なのかわからないし、敷地も墓地の一部のようだった。こうした敷地で、大きな開口部のある「沖縄らしい」立ち方はなんだかこの場所にそぐわないような気がした。ここでは周囲に対して距離をとりつつ、明るく開放的な建築をイメージしていた。
イメージしたのは、周囲の環境に対して凛とした佇まいで、内部は外部の影響を受けない明るく厳かな空間だった。そうした建築のありようは、本来の用途を終えたとしても、建築の持つ空間の力、空間の質を変わらず備えていて、長くそこにあり続けることができる。この住宅でも、いつか持ち主が変わったり、その用途を終えても、長く愛され、使われるような建築をつくりたいと考えた。
緩やかな斜面の敷地を人の住むための場所として3つのレベルに均し、段差の土留めを2列の基礎張りとして利用して神輿を載せるように四角錐を載せた。硬い琉球石灰岩層から持ち上げられた四角推はたとえ周りの土がなくなったとしても、下駄のように二本足でそこに立ち続ける力強い形式を持っている。閉じた四角推は構造的に安定した形であると同時に閉鎖的で威厳的な形でもある。敷地に対応した合理的な支持点を設けながら、足元や屋根面を限定的に開いていくことで、安定した形の特性を損なうことなく、悠然的な空間をつくりだした。
室内は、1段目に配管をコンパクトにまとめるために水廻りと、玄関を設け、1m下がった2段目はリビングダイニングと書斎、敷地奥の3段目に寝室などプライベートな空間をまとめてシンプルな構成になっている。トップライトと遺跡のようなコンクリートの塊の中に、手の届く範囲に木で生活の場所をつくりだす、そんなイメージで住宅として設えた。
沖縄の古いお墓はとても立派だ。沖縄の厳しい環境に配慮し、後世に継承していくための屈強なつくりや、人が集まる場所や祝祭性のある形、そして先祖が住む「家」としての役割など、そこには先人の知恵や、長く使い続ける意志や文化が備わっている。設計して出来上がった建物は、どこかピラミッドや古墳のような出立ちになった。それは沖縄の気候や雨風への配慮、周辺環境、コストから導かれた形だが、上棟した建物を見た時、沖縄に住む先人がお墓に込めた永続性や祝祭性に導かれて出来上がったように感じた。突飛に見える形だが、沖縄らしさが宿る悠然的なコンクリートの住宅になった。
Photo credits: Ooki Jingu (https://ookijingu.com/)
This residence was designed for a married couple. It is on a long, narrow site that slopes gently toward the back, and its three sides were surrounded by apartments and a cemetery, so the location feels like the bottom of a valley. The adjacent cemetery was like a forest, with plants crossing over into the site and blurring the boundary, making the site itself to look like part of the cemetery. Having these site features, an “Okinawa-like” building style with large openings seemed...
- Year 2024
- Work finished in 2024
- Status Completed works
- Type Single-family residence / Interior Design
- Websitehttps://igarchitects.jp/work1/1042/
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