House in Aonashi

Located at the foot of Mt. Haruna in suburban Maebashi, this wooden two-story residence was born from the clients’ deliberate selection of a site at the confluence of two rivers. The surrounding landscape is defined by an organic network of small waterways that meander through fields and homes, creating a pastoral scene where the boundaries between the natural and the built are blurred. While currently an expansive agricultural area, it is a region on the cusp of suburban transformation. The clients, drawn to the wild abundance of wildflowers and the richness of the riverbanks, sought a home that felt deeply rooted in the soil rather than detached from it.
The architecture traces the trajectory of the river, taking the form of a slender volume that pivots at three distinct angles. By connecting the vertices of each section, the roof forms a rhythmic ridgeline that not only moderates the building’s scale but also echoes the surrounding landscape—from the flow of the water and the trees on the sandbanks to the distant mountain silhouettes. This strategic placement carves out a garden that remains permeable to the landscape while providing a sanctuary from the harsh western sun and northern winds. The interior is conceived as a continuous sequence, where the entrance, kitchen, and living areas flow together with minimal partitioning. Instead of physical walls, the varied planes of the ceiling loosely delineate the different zones. Within each volume, two distinct roof finishes coexist, creating a spatial depth where functions overlap and boundaries dissolve depending on one’s vantage point.
As the undulating rural terrain is increasingly leveled for suburban development, the design uses the remaining topography—the rivers and sandbanks—as anchors for daily life. The result is a residence intended to evolve in harmony with the land, preserving the memory of the landscape within the rhythm of domestic life.