この家には寝室以外に四角い部屋がなく、どの部屋も先細りしているか、不思議な角度で窓がついています。1階と2階を区切る大きな床も傾いています。もちろんこれらは意図的で、緊張感を作り出すのと同時に家でありながら自分の居場所を見つけてもらうための装置となっています。
止静と家/鉄筋コンクリート造/2階建て/2007年/高松/写真：平井美行
A Residence – Sijou”
A space that leaves each person with a different impression, but always a sense of peace.
I wanted to create such a space.
My client had a number of requests for their new house. I began with a design for the space,
and incorporated those requests into the design.It was not an easy process, but the client
is very happy with the outcome.
The site is set amongst rice fields, dotted with houses. There is a relaxing ambiance.
Enhanced by an adjacent family temple (odou) and storehouse (kura). A feeling of tranquility.
My design strives for a bold stroke, amongst these tranquil surrounds.
Tapered spaces formed from plane surfaces and simple sections deny categorization of function or application, providing the visitor the latitude to ponder their meaning. Rather than unconsciously receive visitors, I wanted to afford them a moment to face and confront the space. An act of calming the mind and facing one’s environment reminiscent of the beginning of meditation. This reminded me later of a Zen word – “Sijou”.
What do people do when they face such a space? According to my client, standing in the tea ceremony room, in front of a tapered and darkened alcove, some see a dead-end and others see the extent. I think that difference in perception is what makes each of us who we are. And it is important.
A white square space would also produce a difference in perception, but that difference would be vast and merely serve to isolate each of us. It would be meaningless for this residential building. A space that reveals our diversity of thought while bringing us closer together. That is what I wanted to for this home.