Home in the sky!

By Savitha Hira

Photography: TechniStaff Koji Okamoto; courtesy Architects Show

Read Time: 2 mins 

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Ar. Masahiko Sato of Architect Show creates a home with an enclosed outdoor space midway in the air, in Fukuoka Prefecture, China…

When you are faced with a linear plot bounded by habitats on three sides, how do you achieve a bright, cheerful, open-to-nature space? Some would say – you don’t; you compromise. But Ar. Masahiko Sato turned the brief on its head by creating a ground plus two structure, positioning the public quarters at the very top to accomplish the premise.

 

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With only the east side open, flanked by a lush green park, the home is inward-looking with a program that positions parking-cum-elevator lobby on the ground floor, bedrooms on the first and living-dining and entertaining units on the topmost floor.

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Creating an oasis of solace and camaraderie, oblivious to the world outside, the home has an open-plan, literally enveloped in woodwork. Accentuating linearity, the ceiling design of longitudinal wooden slats is interspersed with light fittings and complemented by slit windows in the concrete façade. An aesthetically culled sliding partition affords requisite privacy to the individual living and dining, when needed.

 

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An L-shaped balcony opened wide on the two sides flanks the living dining space and is adorned with floor-planters for an earthy effect. This dissipates the feeling of not being close to the ground, making one almost forget that he’s actually residing someway midway in the air! Added to this is the south-east view of the gardens beyond, opening up the home to the elements.

 

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Lighting plays a significant part – multi-dia orbs in the parking area create intrigue; whilst soft indirect lighting throughout perfectly complements the abundant natural light streaming into the public spaces on the second floor.

 

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Last but certainly not the least, the building mass with its tall lower limbs in concrete and charcoal-finish and heavier upper torso in white, places the home in a cocoon of peaceful living, irrespective of the time of day and away from the hustle that a ground floor habitat is otherwise subjected to.