Bamboo Grove Hermitage, Japan Building, Project, Photo, News, Design, Image

Bamboo Grove Hermitage Japan : Toyonaka Building

Toyonaka Property design by Tetsuya Matsui + Tomoko Murata, UZU, Japan

post updated 15 May 2021 ; 20 Apr 2009

Bamboo Grove Hermitage

Location: Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan

Date: 2000

Design: Tetsuya Matsui + Tomoko Murata, UZU

Photographs: UZU

A two-storied and white concrete house of the client is in the city, but it is a calm place surrounded by a bamboo grove. A garage in the piloti on the first floor was renovated to a residence, where the wind blows from the bamboo grove.

Photographs : Akiyoshi Fukuzawa

The client thought that he might be able to live if he constructed the floor and the wall by himself, because the structure existed. He started to dig the ground. But he was uncertain about the future due to the unfamiliar experience. He wanted the advice of some experts. This is how the client and the architect started to work together.

It is not newly-built. We made use of the materials, enjoyed what we could do and left what we couldn’t do to experts and carpenters. The young couple tried to think very simply for this house and enjoy the process. There is a panoramic view of the bamboo grove. The drastic one-room can be divided by some partitions. It will be available when they have children in future.

Existing structure and ceilings are left as they are. We made simply the necessary floor and the wall by wooden boards. In the garden, the client made a miniature artificial hill (tsukiyama), which the soil he dug is just piled. The weed grows naturally, the butterfly flutters and insects chirp. The room is lighted by reflecting sunshine to the miniature artificial hill (tsukiyama) and also the veranda. The client is happy to live in the house with enjoyment of self-built, such as plaster to the ceiling and bricks of wood in the remaining piloti floor.