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Located at 1570 meters above sea level, near Nagano, the site slopes down
at a 20-degree angle to the southeast and has a sweeping view of the surrounding
mountains; a primary goal of the design process was to find the best way
of framing the magnificent panorama. The overall composition consists of
a cylindrical core of 3.7 meters in diameter, containing a bathroom and
the kitchen; a square core holding the bedrooms; and a wall running parallel
to the adjacent road. The two core structures bear the perpendicular loads
and resists the lateral stresses as a cantilever. The floor slab is cantilevered
4.5 meters from the centerline of the building. The single-pitch roof which
follows the slope of the site is supported by two laminated-wood beams
fixed on top of the cores. The linear wall, roughly finished in masonry,
is separate from the roof structure. This wall symbolically expresses the
idea that the house will take root into soil and into the natural setting.
In addition, it also represents the dramatic effects of opening up the
living room to the panoramic views of the mountains - in contrast to the
effect at the road level, where the views are completely obstructed. |
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