Villa DARIA | Shuji Oki

The country retreat of an Italian lady who has lived in Japan for 40 years, and her family, situated on a plateau about 2 hours drive from Tokyo. At 1998, the exterior is finished in timber, and there is a strong vertical emphasis resembling a stand of trees. (Last year 2012 changed to aluminum-zinc alloy-coated steel sheet, because of protect from woodpecker.) Openings are provided with wooden shutters both for security and cleanliness, and these are so arranged that when shut they form a single plane with the façade. In plan, a 10×10m square quartered into 5×5m areas constitutes the basic unit. A vertical linkage of spaces is achieved in the loft, the double-height living room with gallery, and the double-height dining room. Seen from within, the windows draw the rich natural surroundings into the interior, making the landscape appear as a set of cut-out pictures.